《Primordial Harem System》 Chapter 1: Reincarnation Earth, Shen Yuan was a normal 20-year-old young man living his daily life while going to college and doing part-time jobs to support his family. Every day was a blend of lectures, assignments, and working shifts at various jobs. His dream was to graduate and secure a good job to support his family. He was living together with his mother, Zhen Yi, and his little sister who was 5 years younger than him, her name was Shen Yuechan. Their life wasn''t easy, Yuan''s father left him when he was 6 years old, and his mother Zhen Yi was a teacher, so all the burden of nurturing both of them fell on her. She worked hard without ever onceining to anyone about her circumstances. Due to their living conditions, all three of them were very dependent on each other. Shen Yuechan had a brotherplex because he loved her with all his heart and took care of her. And she also didn''t have many friends in school due to her average looks and introverted personality. Yuan protected her from everything and taught her a lot so she looks up to him as well. Thus their days continued to pass peacefully. After working for so long he has collected a small fortune that would at least make it possible for their small family to live without tension. One night, Yuan was walking back home after finishing his part-time job, "Sigh, When will my good days start and I can finally find myself a girlfriend? I have already transferred the money that I saved to my mother''s ount with a note exining the situation to her." He reflected on his decision as he spoke aloud, "Otherwise I might have wasted all of my money on reading novels or buying books, good thing I transferred the money to my mom." While muttering to himself he didn''t notice the unknown entity above him. "Aghh" His world darkened as he felt something hit his head. ... On a certain day, a boy was found in a small world. He was lying down peacefully sleeping in his baby basket. A veiled woman found him, she looked him in the eyes and felt a deep connection with him, she felt the strings of fate stir as she decided to adopt him. As she looked at the sleeping boy, she found herself filled with adoration towards him. Her eyes filled with gentle warmth as she firmly decided on her decision. The boy stretches his hands at her in his sleep, the woman picks him up and takes him away. ... In avish room of a mansion, three pretty women were gathered together. One of them, who was lying on the bed was holding a baby while looking at him with affection. She had pretty white hair with milky white skin and a voluptuous body. Her ample bosom was jiggling all over the ce while she was ying with her son. She was reclined on the bed, her snowy hair framing her heart-shaped face, glowing with a gentle glow. Her milky skin seemed to radiate am inner light, and her sapphire eyes sparkled with tenderness as she gazed at the little boy lying on herp. Her curvacious figure, entuated by her ample bosom was a masterpiece of feminity, each of her gentle movements sending fragrance into the room. The other twodies who were her maids looked at her milky bosom jiggling all over the ce while one of them spoke. Her name was Huo Rong and the other girl who was there was also her sister named Bing Rong. "Sister Yuxin, what will you name young master?" The beautiful woman who was lying on the bed was named Shen Yuxin. She smiled lightly at her question and spoke with an affectionate tone, "Since I can feel a profound power hidden within him, and I have decided to adopt him I will name him Shen Yuan." She smiled gently after saying this and continued, "Shen for profound and Yuan for Origin. This name describes him perfectly." She smiled happily after giving her Son a name. Both Huo Rong and Bing Rong smiled sweetly as they saw Yuxin''s happy smile. Just then Shen Yuan opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was massive boobs above his face. ''Ahh Where am I? What happened to me, and Woah, She is so pretty, who is she?'' Just then he remembered about his past life as well as what kind of situation he was in right now. ''Ah, what the fuck happened? So, did I reincarnate? But how? It doesn''t make sense. I didn''t die yet.'' After thinking long and hard and noting to a conclusion he decided to put it in the back of his mind. ''Good thing I transferred all my money to my mom''s ount. At least they will live a good life now.'' He felt like crying while thinking about all this stuff, "Waah waah" Yuxin looked down on her son as she spoke, "Is my dear son hungry?" She undressed her upper dress to reveal the majestic boobs that were hidden inside. They bounced up and down as she bowed down and picked up Yuan to ce his mouth near her nipple. "Drink as much as you want and grow up to be a healthy boy." Yuan''s eyes were practically glued to her huge breast, they were milky white with pink buds as if they were pink roses, he imagined sucking on them and he nearly drooled on his thoughts. After getting near to her nipples he started sucking on them. Her milk was sweet and felt like it was infused with a strange energy. Her breast felt so soft, squishy, and supple on him while he was sucking on them. He had never drunk something so delicious in his life before. He thought while sucking on her tits, ''I will live this life to the fullest and won''t have any moral restrictions like myst life. I will only live for myself now.'' Just then he looked above and saw the pure love and adoration which was borderline scary and his thought changed, ''Or maybe I will have something to protect in this life.'' ... 5 Years passed since the day he reincarnated. Yuan was sitting in the library with a pile of books on the table in front of him, his hair was as ck as the star-less night and his ck eyes shifted here and there while he was reading the books that he collected. This has be a hobby of sorts after spending so much time in the library. He was learning about the history of this world whose name was unknown by its inhabitants. The world was so massive that he only managed to find out the knowledge about his own continent even from his mother''s library. "From what I have found out about this continent from the knowledge of my mother''s library, there seemed to be a lot of different races and cultures thriving on this continent with martial arts as the basis. Mortals begin practicing martial arts after awakening at the age of 5-7 and absorb qi inside themselves to cultivate their body, qi, and soul." He nodded to himself as he continued to summarize what he found out till now. "It looks like I need to start practicing martial arts if I want to live my life freely in this world otherwise others will step all over me." As he stopped here and was about to continue he heard some footsteps and a voice soon followed, "Yuan''er~ are you studying again? Come with me it''s time for your daily nursing" Yuan licked his lips when he thought about what was about to happen next but then he shook his head and thought, ''You can''t think like that Yuan she is your mother in this life even if I''m not her blood rted son'' He didn''t reply to her so she pushed the gates of the library open and entered inside. Chapter 2: Cultivation When Shen Yuan looked at the woman who entered the library, he fell into a momentary trance as Shen Yuxin looked the same as when he first saw her. She had white beautiful hair with milky white skin, her ample bosom jiggling up and down as she walked towards Shen Yuan, her eyes were as deep blue as the deep sea. She came in front of Shen Yuan and hugged him tightly as she asked while rubbing his head. "Why were you not answering when I called for you just now Yuan''er?" Yuan felt his mother''s bosom on his face as he breathed in deeply her mature fragrance, he raised his head and replied, "I didn''t hear when you called for me, I was too engrossed in these books." He lied without batting his eyes, Yuxin justughed as she asked back, "Were you not paying attention or are you just shy to admit that are embarrassed?" She giggled as she finished speaking and her bosom shook a little on his face. Shen Yuan just shook his head and asked, "How long do I have to be fed by you? And I heard that most other children stop being nursed at around 2 years of age?" Yuxin smiled gently at him and replied while answering back, "You were very weak when you were born because of someplications, so I have to nurse you so that when you start your cultivation journey your foundation won''t be badpared to others" She patted his head which was resting on her bosom as she thought, ''I don''t know why his body was so weak when I found him, it looked like his body was constantly devouring his energy, if it continued like that then he would die from his own overwhelmingck of energy, he hasn''t noticed it yet cause I have been nursing him'' She stopped her train of thought when she looked at his eyes which were looking back at her full of curiosity. She smiled lightly as she said, "Alright enough questions to answer, for now, it''s time to feed you. Let''s go to my room." She picked him up as if he was as light as a feather and walked outside the library. She walked through the corridor of her mansion as she reached the master''s room. Shen Yuan looked around while in her embrace there were a few maids tending to the corridors, rooms garden, etc. He asked while getting to the room, "Mother, when will I be able to start practicing martial arts?" She looked at him and answered while walking towards the master room. "Most children start cultivating at the age of 5-7 after their awakening ceremony, now that you are 5 years old you can begin practicing after doing your awakening ritual." She looked at him and asked with a smile, "Yuan''er when do you want to start your Cultivation ritual?" Shen Yuan looked deep in thought as he considered his situation, he replied after a while, "If my constitution is still weak then I would like to dy my awakening until my constitution reaches the average level so my foundation won''t be weak." Yuxin smiled gently at his response and proudly said, "You won''t have to wait long for that to happen, just keep growing healthy and I''m sure by next year you will be able to begin learning martial arts." As they continued their small chit-chat they reached the master room of the manor. She put him down from his embrace and he went to sit on the bed. She looked at him with amusement and asked, "Are you not shy now? You were trying to ignore it as if I was going to eat you alive hahaha." She giggled yfully while Yuan shrugged and answered her, "If I want to be strong and protect you, Aunt Huo, and Aunt Bing, then I need to be stronger and I''m ready to go through anything to be strong." She looked at him proudly and patted him while saying, "That''s my good boy, you should drink mommy''s milk like a good boy and grow up to be healthy." She sat down next to him and removed her blouse to reveal her milky white breast and delicate pink buds, she smiled gently at him after undressing and spoke, "Now,e and drink mommy''s milk." She brought him towards her and made him lie down on herp and started breast feeding him. Yuan felt like he was drinking the divine nectar, so sweet and filled with energy. He just closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment. Yuxin smiled gently looking at her son and patted his head. ... Time continues to pass as their days turn into weeks and then months. Yuxin didn''t teach him anything about martial arts or cultivation, she always told him to just enjoy his childhood and when he awaken his talent after some time she will tell him all he wants to know. Yuan also studied all he could find about this world in his spare time outside of ying with his mother''s two maids. He got used to calling them Aunt Huo and Aunt Bing due to their close rtionship. Both of them dotes on him a lot and treat him as their own son. One day he was studying in the library about cultivation. "Hmm so the first realm is the Body Forging realm, in this realm I will have to cultivate my body from the inside out, most people take a few years toplete this body refinement." He pondered about his current situation and thought, "I think I can ask my mother to get me resources for my awakening ritual, I don''t know how strong she is or her cultivation level, hell I don''t even know whates after Body Forging realm. She will only tell me after I officially start cultivation." He decided to think about thister as he dived back into the knowledge about this world, how cultivation works, different powers, etc. Chapter 3: Time Flies As time continued to pass, Yuan gained a lot more knowledge about the cultivation world and he found out more about this continent. This continent''s name was Deste Continent in this massive world, but he couldn''t find out the name of this world despite looking for it in the library. The Deste Continent was divided into 5 parts, Eastern Deste, Western Deste, Northern Deste, Southern Deste, and Central Deste. A giant river divided all these continents. No one below a certain cultivation level can cross it or else he will be erased from the world, his past, present, and future will be erased not only from this timeline but from all the infinite timelines that lie in this world. There might be higher level worlds or realms outside of this continent but he doesn''t have knowledge about that. After finishing the current book, he looked deep in thought as he spoke his thoughts aloud, "I''m currently in the Deste Continent. There are a lot of races here, The Dragon Race which has so many different ns inside it, and The Phoenix Race which is the same as the Dragon Race, both of these are the Apex races of the Divine Beast n. There are many more races like Celestial Foxes, Jade Rabbit, Golden Crow, Roc, Hydra, etc." Yuan stood up and walked outside the library, he looked up to see the sky, it was evening now the sky was beautiful with a setting sun and scattered clouds. He stretched and spoke in his childlike voice "Ahh It was a good day as always, but I still haven''t left this mansion, mother said the world is dangerous outside and I will only be able to leave when I start cultivation and reach a high enough level." He then thought about something and started walking while muttering, "I nearly forgot it''s time to eat while reading the books, mom and aunts must be waiting for me." As he reached the dining hall, he pushed open the door and entered inside. Inside his mother, Yuxin was sitting at the dining table, it was a round dining table so everyone could sit together. He looked around and found out that the maids were setting up the table and both of her aunts were standing respectfully beside his mother. Yuxin looked towards the door and smiled gently when she saw who it was. She beckoned towards him toe beside her and sit on the chair. Both Huo Rong and Bing Rong also smiled sweetly when they saw Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan smiled at them and went to sit beside his mother on the chair, she patted his head and began talking. "You finally found time to meet with your poor mom? I thought you nearly forgot about me after not seeing you for so long." She faked a few tears while looking at Yuan to see his reaction. Yuan just shook his head helplessly since he was way too used to seeing her antics by now. Yuan stood up from the chair and went to hug his mother, he spoke while hugging her, "How can I forget my dear mother? I was just too engrossed in reading the books that I forgot about the time, that''s why I''mte now." Yuxin beamed with a bright smile as she hugged him back and patted him while speaking merrily. "Good son, I knew you won''t forget your beautiful mother so soon." Huo Rong spoke while giggling lightly after seeing her mistress''s antics. "Young Master Yuan studies very hard every day, madam. Give him some ck." She put a hand on her cherry lips and giggled lightly after finishing speaking. Bing Ruo chimed in agreement with her sister and added, "That''s correct, madam. I have not seen another child as intelligent or as hardworking as Young Master." Yuxin smiled proudly after hearing both of them speaking up for Yuan. She put him down on the chair again and spoke to other maids besides Huo Rong and Bing Rong to prepare food. She chatted with Yuan while waiting for the food to be served, She asked Yuan about what he new things he learned today or if he wanted to know about something that confused him. "Yuan''er, do you have something to ask about after reading all day long today as well?" Yuan looked up from the table and spoke in an annoyed tone tinged with naiveness, "If I ask something which I want to ask then you just say to first awaken then you will tell me this or that, and now you are asking me what I want to know. Hmph!" Yuxin smiled embarrassedly at that and spoke, "Ahem, you can ask about cultivation rted stuff after your awakening, aren''t you interested in something else? like the various races in this world, or the ns or sects here, etc?" Yuan pondered for a second and asked what he studied today when he was in the library, "I want to ask about the various races of the Deste Continent, and how they are distributed geographically since you won''t tell me the cultivation realms above Body Forging I can only make do with this." In the end, his voice became annoyed again when he thought about how he couldn''t learn more about the stuff that he wanted to know the most about. Yuxin gently smiled while taking out a book and began reading about the various races of the continent. "The whole Deste Continent is too big for you to think about right now, so let''s talk about the Eastern Deste Region only. Here we don''t have any top tier beasts like the 9 wed True Dragon, Phoenix, Golden Crow, Kun Peng, etc. But we do have the subspecies of said beasts." "We have 3-5 wed True Dragons or even the lesser flood dragons etc, same as we have the subspecies for all other beasts as well, these Divine Beasts live in the Central Deste Region. These subspecies are powerful, but not as powerful as their apex rtives." "In addition to the Dragon kin, there are many other races here. For example, the Celestial Foxes, known for their cunning and beauty, live in the lush forests building their own separate Kingdoms and Empires. The Jade Rabbits, famed for their agility and mysterious alchemical arts, also reside here with harmony, both of these races are gentle in nature. The Golden Crows and Rocs prefer the high mountains and open skies where they can soar freely. Though the Golden Crows prefer volcano-type locations more." Chapter 4: Eastern Desolate As Yuxin exined till this point, she paused to see if Yuan was following her or not and continued to speak after a while, "The Hydra ns make their homes in the vast swamps and rivers, where their multiple heads, regenerative, and poison abilities make them formidable. The lesser-known races, such as the Shadow Panthers, who excel in stealth and assassination, and the Irond Turtles, who are nearly invincible in defense, also inhabit this region. Though the invincible defense is just those idiots spouting nonsense." "There are also races like the Stone Giants, who dwell in the rocky terrains and are known for their immense strength and durability, and the Sea Serpents, who rule the coastal waters with their serpentine grace and aquatic prowess. There are many more races who live inkes or other water bodies." "Even within these groups, there are countless sub-ns and variations. For instance, among the Celestial Foxes, there are the Nine-Tailed Foxes who are particrly revered, while the Three-Tailed Foxes are moremon. Simrly, the Golden Crows have sub-ns based on the color of their feathers and their size, with the Three-Legged Golden Crows being the most powerful. "The Eastern Deste Region is a melting pot of diverse and unique races, each with its own strengths, weaknesses, and culture. These races often interact with one another, forming alliances, engaging in trade, and sometimes evening into conflict. "Now, when ites to the human cultivators, they have established their own sects and ns, often based on the unique resources and cultivation techniques avable in their specific regions. Some human sects even ally themselves with powerful beast ns, gaining mutual benefits from such partnerships. While some other human and beast ns have blood feuds." Yuan listened with wide eyes, his curiosity piqued. "Mother, what about the human ns and sects here? How do theypare to these beast races?" Yuxin raised her eyebrow as she asked, "Are you not curious about Beast ns like Dragon or Phoenix? Or you don''t like beast races?" At the end of her questions, her voice shook slightly but Yuan did not notice it as he replied. "I''m just curious about the Human race condition in this world, all the beast races sound super powerful after all." Yuxin secretly heaved a sigh of relief as she nodded, understanding his growing interest due to him being a human. "The human ns and sects vary greatly in power and influence. Some of the more prominent ones in the Eastern Deste Region include the Azure Sky Sect, known for their mastery of wind and lightning techniques, and the Scarlet me n, which specializes in fire-based cultivation methods and alchemy, there is also the Emperor Sword Sect which specialized in sword techniques. There are also smaller sects and independent cultivators who make their way through skill and determination. "Humans, unlike the beast races, rely heavily on their ingenuity, cultivation techniques, and the ability to formplex social structures. While individually they might not be as powerful as some of the Divine Beasts, in groups and with the right strategies, they can hold their own and even surpass the beast ns in certain areas. "The Eastern Deste Region, with its rich diversity and the myriad of powerful inhabitants, provides an excellent environment for young cultivators like you to grow and learn. But remember, Yuan''er, the path of cultivation is fraught with challenges and dangers. You must be cautious and wise in your journey. You should not provoke those whose strength surpasses yours otherwise you won''t even know how you died." Yuan nodded, absorbing the wealth of information his mother provided. He felt a surge of excitement as he thought about exploring the vast continent as he grew stronger and enjoying the vast world beyond his mansion. "Thank you, mother. I will work hard and make you proud." Yuxin smiled warmly and patted his head. "I know you will, my son. Now, let''s enjoy our meal and rest well. You will bezing around in the library tomorrow as well after all." Yuxin took a jab at Yuan at the end of her sentence as she begin eating her meal. As they continued their dinner, Yuan''s mind buzzed with excitement and ns for his future adventures in the cultivation world. But first, he needs to awaken his talent. They finished eating their dinner while having some small chit-chat, as Yuxin stood up after eating she spoke to Yuan, "It''s time to sleep, let''s go to our room Yuan." She smiled gently as she took Yuan''s hand and led him towards their room. Yuan just nodded and tagged along after saying, "Good night Aunt Huo and Aunt Bing." Both of them smiled at him sweetly as they both chirped, "Have sweet dreams, Young Master." Huo Rong continued in a mischievous tone, "Do go easy on madam, Young Master." Both sister''s bell-likeughter rang out around the dining room. Yuan got embarrassed and ran away from the dining room as fast as he could. Yuxin just shook her head slightly as she spoke to the sisters. "Don''t tease him too much else he stop ying and talking with you." She went after Yuan as she left the dining room, leaving both Huo Rong and Bing Rong speechless. Huo Rong looked at the leaving figure of her madam and spoke to Bing Rong, "Umm did I mess up with Young Master Yuan? He won''t be mad at me right?" Bing Rong replied with a wry smile, "Well we will have to see that for ourselves, we will sleep together with him tomorrow and tell him lots of stories as an apology, how does that sound?" Huo Rong''s eyes brightened as she nodded her head quickly in agreement, "Yes we can definitely do that, Young Master likes it whenever we hug him to sleep while telling him stories, let''s go to the library to look for some stories to tell him." After deciding on what to do both of them left towards the library. At another part of the mansion, Yuxin caught up with Yuan, she asked him in a slightly teasing voice, "Aww is Yuan''er embarrassed from their teasing?" Yuan just turned his face in the other direction as he thought, ''Of course, I will be embarrassed by their teasing, I''m not a kid that won''t understand what they are saying.'' Chapter 5: 7 Year Old Yuxin spoke up with a slight giggle after seeing his reaction, "Yuan''er you need to have thicker skin if you want to get good wives." Yuan raised his head as he asked, "Wives? Can''t I have a single lover mom?" Yuxin looked surprised for a bit as she spoke, "Powerful men attract a lot of female cultivators, so if you want to only have a single woman then it will be tough, and I want the best for you, I want all the heavenly daughters of this world to be my Daughter In-Laws." Yuan nearly stumbled when he heard that as he looked at his mother looking at him with amusement as he spoke, "Mom are you trying to kill me? How will I manage such a big harem?" Yuxin smiled slightly as she spoke, "You don''t have to worry about that, Mommy will help you in managing your harem." Yuan looked confused as he asked, "Eh? But how?" Yuxin gave him a mysterious smile and said to him, "You will find it out in the future, for now, let''s go and nourish your body." Just as she was about to open the door Yuan asked another question, "When will you teach me about cultivation Mom? I''m dying to learn more about it ever since I got to know about it." Yuxin smiled gently toward him as she spoke, "Some things are not meant to be shared with those who have not undergone their awakening, when you finish your awakening I will tell you all you want to know about this world." Yuan sulkily turned his head away as he murmured, "This is the same excuse you always give me whenever I ask about cultivation-rted stuff to you." "Alright that''s enough chit-chatting, now let''s go." She gave him a sweet smile as she reached the door and opened it, Yuan thought hard about her words but couldn''te up with a good answer so he just dropped it and followed her inside. ... Another Year passed, and Shen Yuan reached 7 years of age. During this period of time, he continued to immerse himself in the study of the cultivation world and the various races that inhabited it. Today was the day he would go through the awakening ritual to see his cultivation potential, he quickly dressed himself as he went toward a particr room where his mother Shen Yuxin, and both of his aunts, Huo Rong and Bing Rong, were waiting for him. As he pushed open the door, the view waspletely different inside, there was blue sky, flowing rivers, and greenery everywhere. As he looked around for his mother and aunts, he found them sitting in the center of this world which he couldn''t even see the end of. He ran up to them while screaming from afar, "Heeyyy! Mother, Aunts, hoof hoof, where is this ce? Why is it so big?" Yuxin smiled as she looked at her son who had grown up a lot in a year, She patted him after seeing him panting after running all the way to their location. She smiled gently as she exined to her son slowly, "This, honey, is a mystic realm." "These can be generated randomly all over the Deste Continent, these are all vast realms, stretching to infinity. If someone wants to leave the mystique realm the only way to leave them is either at the heart of the Realm or a randomly generated gate, But if you are strong enough you can break space and leave." She exined till here and stopped to see if he still understood her as she continued, "But breaking space inside a Mystique Realm is a lot harder since this is on a very high level of dimensionalitypared to Deste ce, so it is a lot harder to break space inside here even for the high level of cultivators who are already ahead in dimensionalitypared to mortals at your level." She sat down on the grass, "And that''s the reason you are so tired, since you haven''t started cultivation yet, you should not even be able to step foot in this ce, but I''m using my powers to coat your body with a thinyer of protection since this ce is one of the best to awaken yourself, you see those rivers? Those are Rivers of Pure Qi, and the quantity is enough for half of the cultivators in the Eastern Deste region to cultivate for the rest of their lives. Since this is one of the highest ranked Mystique Realm in Deste Continent." Yuan was first amazed and then confused as he asked, "But how do you possess this level of treasure Mother?" Yuxin smiled mysteriously and said in a teasing voice, "You haven''t awakened yet so I can''t tell you." A vein popped up on Yuan''s head as he listened to the same excuse for the millionth time, "Hmph! Keep your secrets, I don''t wanna know them anyways." Huo Rong and Bing Rong both giggled as they looked at their Madam''s antics. Yuxin stopped smiling as she stood up and said, "Alright enough messing around, now it is about time to start your awakening ritual, go and sit beside the river and try to gather qi as I thought you. Try to get the qi inside your body, after nourishing your body with my essence for years it is now nearly perfect for cultivation." Yuan''s ears got red as he heard his aunts Huo Rong and Bing Rong giggling after hearing what his mother said. Yuxin looked at them and they stoppedughing and stood respectfully to oversee their young master. Yuan took a deep breath to calm himself down as he began his awakening ritual. Chapter 6: Awakening He removed all distracting thoughts from his mind as he focused on the matter at hand. He breathed in deeply to calm down and began trying to sense the qi in the Mystique Realm for absorption. As his breath stabilized, all sounds stopped for him, he could not hear the voice of his mother or aunt, nor could he hear the rushing river. He imagined the qi all around him, after trying for a few breaths of time he was able to feel qi flowing freely all around him like little stars. He willed those toe towards him so he could absorb them in his dantian and awaken his potential. As the qi slowly began to move towards him, gathering above his head. Yuan kept his focus on meditating while sitting cross-legged, some time passed, and at one point the qi formed a tornado above Yuan''s head which kept growing in size. When the qi tornado reached 1 meter mark Huo Rongmented, "Young Master''s tornado is still increasing, most normal people have a meter long tornado at their awakening ceremony. Geniuses have 10-100 meters and Apex genius which are born once in a thousand years have 1000 meter long qi vortex." Bing Rong interrupted her as she spoke, "I have also heard about scions of the top ns who can form 10km long qi vortexes but they are as rare as Phoenix feathers, it isn''t every day that we can find them." Shen Yuxin spoke after listening to their conversation, "The apex geniuses are rare only in the Eastern Deste region, in the Central Deste region there are many of such individuals or even the higher level Heaven''s or Hell''s chosen ones." Both Huo Rong and Bing Rong''s curiosity was piqued as Huo Rong asked, "How big can their qi vortex get at their peak?" Shen Yuxin contemted for a second as she replied'' "The Heaven and Hell chosen ones can make anywhere from 100-1000km big qi vortex, it depends on their bloodline purity and the blessing they get from Heaven or Hell." Bing Rong asked just then, "How big do you think Young Master Yuan''s qi vortex will get?" Huo Rong proudly replied back to her question which she deemed silly, "Is that even a question? Of course young master will make a 1000km big qi vortex, he isn''t behind any of the Top geniuses who reside in the Central Deste Region." Yuxin pped the back of Huo Rong''s head as she spoke in an annoyed tone, "Don''t speak of the matters that you don''t know about, it isn''t that easy to be the Heaven''s or Hell''s chosen ones, and I didn''t see any signs of him being blessed by either of them in so many years that I live with him." Bing Rong gave her sister a teasing smile as she asked her mistress in a somber tone, "Then mistress do you think he can only reach the level of Apex geniuses?" To which Yuxin replied with a sweet and gentle smile, "I don''t care what his talent is, all I care about is him, as long as he is healthy I will help him in cultivation so that he can live a long lifefortably." Both Bing Rong and Huo Rong revealed sweet smiles as they heard their mistress speaking about how much she cared for her son. As they finished their small talk Shen Yuan''s Qi vortex increased in size from the measly 1 meter to 10 meter and was still rising steadily. Shen Yuxin shared her thoughts as she looked at the Qi Vortex, "Now he is above geniuses as well, if he has a special physique and bloodline then they should get activated soon and increase the size of the Qi Vortex exponentially." Huo Rong and Bing Rong nodded as they saw the vortex steadily rising. Time passed as the Qi vortex surpassed the 1000m mark without showing any signs of slowing down or activating the physique or bloodline. Huo Rong got confused looking at this situation as she asked her mistress for rification, "Why is the young master''s bloodline or physique not getting activated even after all this time? And how is his qi vortex still rising without the help of his bloodline or physique?" Shen Yuxin contemted for a second as she spoke, "Other people''s bloodline, physique, or special talent gets awakened during their awakening ritual in the initial stages because their potential can''t keep expanding the qi vortex, but Yuan''s potential is seemingly limitless, I think his bloodline and physique will be forcefully activated soon." Huo Rong and Bing Rong looked at each other faces which were filled with surprise. Huo Rong spoke after staring at her sister for a while, "Then we will wait for the young master to finish his awakening to see his final result." As they continued to wait, the vortex continued to expand steadily, once it reached the height of 10km, it became as still as an ancient bell, and there was an eerie silence. Huo Rong and Bing Rong got unsettled as they asked Shen Yuxin, "What is happening, Mistress? Why is it so eerily silent?" Shen Yuxin silently looked at the still vortex for a few moments as she replied, "The bloodline or physique will be forcefully awakened next since his potential doesn''t seem to be reaching his upper limits anytime soon. Let''s see what level of physique or bloodline he will have." Huo Rong quickly asked fearing that the physique or bloodline would be activated before she asked the question, "Mistress-" Shen Yuxin interrupted her as she spoke, "You can just call me Big Sis, now Yuan is also growing up, he calls you both Aunts so it will be weird for you to address me as mistress and we have been together long enough for you both to call me Big Sis." Huo Rong and Bing Rong looked shocked for a second there as they revealed sweet smiles while saying, "As youmand Big Sis!" Yuxin just shook her head slightly with a smile as she asked Huo Rong, "Alright, ask what you wanted to ask just now." Huo Rong nodded her head as she asked, "Big Sis, what level of physique or bloodline do you think Yuan will unlock?" Huo Rong decided to call Shen Yuan by his name from now on since he always asked them both to just call him by his name instead of calling him ''Young Master Yuan''. Shen Yuxin contemted for a second as she replied, "In our Deste Continent, 90% of cultivators are born without a special physique or bloodline, from the remaining 10% of the cultivators, the majority of them open Mortal Physiques and Mortal Bloodline depending on the type it gives them various abilities and slight physical enhancement. "Then most of the top geniuses have Earthly Physiques and the Earthly bloodline they inherited from their parents, they have the elemental advantage over Mortal Physiques as they have an affinity with basic elements like Fire, Water, Earth, Wood, Metal, Wind, Thunder, Poison, etc. The Earthly Bloodline also gives them more enhanced abilities or special powers." "And finally the top rank on Deste Continent is the Heavenly Rank, Heavenly Bloodlines and Heavenly Physique is said to be blessed by the Heavens themselves, the boost not only the physique of a cultivators but enhance the power of their techniques and theirprehension as well." "Yuan Should be able to unlock at least Earthly Physique, as for his Bloodline, I''m not too sure about that myself since I don''t know who his parents are or where he came from." Bing Rong and Huo Rong looked at each other as they remembered the day when Shen Yuxin took back an unknown child, Both of them were so shocked when they learned that their mistress picked up an unknown child from the outside. But over time they got used to his presence and now they are happy to to watch him grow up. As they were about to continue their discussion, the vortex stirred above Shen Yuan, it started expanding crazily. Winds stirred as the rivers raged, all things were being affected by the expansion of the vortex, and the ground was shaking as even the space began to break in some parts of the Mystique realm, but thews and the power of the Heart of the Mystique Realm stabilized it. The Whole Realm stirred as the shadow of the Celestial Symbol of Yin-Yang appeared behind Shen Yuan, his Qi Vortex reached 100km of height in a second as soon as the shadow materialized behing him. As the symbol started to be clearer, his Qi Vortex began expanding rapidly, from the initial 100km, it reached the height of 1,000km when the symbol fully stabilized. Bing Rong and Huo Rong held their breaths through the process as they finally heaved their bathed breaths and spoke their thoughts aloud, "Is it finally over? Is Yuan at the level of Heaven or Hell''s chosen ones?" Before Yuxin could reply the Yin-Yang symbol started spinning as it released a blinding brilliance which forced Yuxin to use her powers to stabilize the realm. As Yuxin spoke after stabilizing the Realm, "Doesn''t look like it''s over just yet." The Qi Vortex began expanding at a rate which was deemed impossible by even the strongest entity in the Deste Continent, it expanded to 10,000km in a few breaths of time, showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Seeing this Bing Rong and Huo Rong were absolutely shocked to see a Qi Vortex of such a magnitude as they couldn''t even say anything, just as it looked like the Vortex was about to expand again Bing Rongasked Shen Yuxin, "What do you think about this Big Sis? How is Yuan breaking the limits by so much? And even after reaching the height of 10,000km, it doesn''t look like it is going to stop anytime soon." Yuxin replied to the queries which were in the mind of both Bing Rong and Huo Rong, "There are rumors about the next tier of physique above the Heavenly Physique, but there are no records about it even in the Central Deste. There are only a few legends here and there in text or ancient scriptures." Huo Rong asked at this point, "Then do you know the name of the next tier of physique, Big Sis? I have never even heard the rumors of the tier above the Heavenly Physique in the Eastern Deste Region." Speaking up to here she turned her head and looked towards her sister as she asked her, "Have you ever heard anything about the tier above Heavenly Physique grade?" To which Bing Rong shook her head as she said, "I have never heard anything about the tier above Heavenly Physique since even the Heavenly Physique is merely a legend in this region." Yuxin replied to the questions of the two sisters, "It''s not your fault that you haven''t heard about it, even in the Central Deste only the peak tier powerhouses knows about it or the Ancient Monsters who are living for who knows how long, oh and that Old Immortal who have been living for longer than most legacies in the Central Deste." Chapter 7: Surpassing The Limits Huo Rong tilted her head as she asked, "Old Immortal? Who-" Yuxin interrupted her as she said, "Don''t talk about him, he might notice it and we don''t want him here when Yuan is going through his awakening ritual." Huo Rong covered her mouth with her hands as she looked left and right for any intruders in their Mystique Realm, Yuxinughed softly looking at her reaction as she spoke, "Don''t worry I have already sealed this realm so it won''t be that easy for him to notice us." Huo Rong finally heaved a sigh of relief as she said, "Phew, you really scared me there Big Sis. I didn''t know what you are not suppose to mention these entities from the Central Deste." Bing Rong giggled after looking at her sister''s reaction as she asked Shen Yuxin, "Big Sis, How does Yuan''s Qi Vortex keep on expanding? Does he have the legendary physique which is stated to be above the Heavenly Tier?" Yuxin thought for a second as she replied, "I''m not sure but it''s very likely that he has the physique which is above the Heavenly Physique. Even while they were talking the Qi Vortex was expanding at a rapid rate, nearly reaching 100,000km in height. Bing Ruo looked at the massive vortex and asked in a slightly nervous voice, "Big Sis, should we move back a little? The vortex might start affecting us if we stay too close." Before Yuxin could reply, Huo Rong mocked Bing Rong as she said, "Ara~ What is this? Are you scared already?" Bing Rong looked annoyed at her sister as she replied, "I''m just worried about Young Master''s safety, we might affect his awakening ritual if we are too close to him" When Huo Rong heard her reasoning she was speechless as she said, "Ahem, I didn''t think about that" Bing Ruo pointed at her head as she spoke, "Do you even have anything in your brain? Or does everything you eat keep on going in this unnecessary mass of fat?" She smacked her boobs as she finished speaking, Huo Rong jerked back as she screamed, "Ahh~ Don''t hit me there you damn sister!" Before their quarrel got anymore bigger Yuxin interrupted her after enjoying the short show, "Alright that''s enough, Bing Rong is right, we should move back a little now." She waved her hand as she took herself and both the sisters while both sisters closed their eyes just before reaching a few million km back from their initial position. Huo Rong and Bing Rong opened their eyes to see that the Qi Vortex was at 99,900 km range, nearly reaching 100,000km. Huo Rong said, "It will reach the 100,000km mark any time now if it keeps expanding at this ra-" Before she finished speaking the Qi Vortex reached the 100,000km mark and released a Dao Hum that put pressure on the whole Mystique Realm. Even Bing Rong and Huo Rong were feeling the pressure as Bing Rong spoke, "Is this the feeling that a 100,000km big Qi Vortex gives during an Awakening Ritual? Just looking at it makes me want to bow down. Almost like it''s the birth of a Saint." Huo Rong agreed with her sister as she chimed in while nodding, "That''s true, just looking at the Qi Vortex really wants to make me bow down in respect." Yuxin answered their queries, "I don''t know anymore if this is due to the physique or merely because the one undergoing the awakening ritual is Yuan. This feeling is even more intense than the time I meet with The Saint in Central Deste Region." Huo Rong spoke without thinking, "The Sain-" Just then Bing Rong spanked her ass as Huo Rong released a startled, "Ahh~" While Bing Rong continued saying, "Big Sis already told you to not talk about those who you should not" Huo Rong rubbed her ass as she sulkingly replied, "How am I supposed to know who you are supposed to talk and who you are not supposed to talk?" Just as Bing Rong readied her hand for another smack, Yuxin interrupted them both as she said, "Alright enough messing around, You both should not talk about the figures in the Central Deste with Yuan just yet, and neither should the both of you talk about them anywhere." Both sisters agreed while nodding. As they finished talking the Qi Vortex already surpassed the 500,000km mark without showing any halting for even a bit. Bing Rong spoke, "Is it just me, or has the expansion speed increased instead of decreasing? And the pressure is steadily increasing little by little as well?" No one replied to her as they both were focusing on the Qi Vortex. Which was still expanding nearing 800,000km, the pressure gradually began increasing in the Mystique Realm as the space which was as firm as a monolith began cracking again. Yuxin''s brows furrowed at the sight of the Mystique Realm as she considered her options, after considering what she should do in her mind instantly she decided to send himyers into other Mystique Realms. "Looks like I need to send him inside other Mystique Realms and stack a few of them on top of each other so themotion doesn''t go outside of this ce, I can''t imagine what absolute destruction it would be in the outside world if Yuan''er was going through his awakening in Eastern Deste." She pulled out 8 globes of light from her spatial ring, "These should be enough to withstand his awakening, after all with these 9bined it will reach a whole new tier." She swung her hand and the 8 Orbs of light merged with the Heart of the Mystique Realm, seeing this Huo Rong asked Shen Yuxin, "What are these orbs of light Big Sis?" Bing Rong also looked over curiously to see what these orbs of light were, who were about to fuse with the Heart of the Mystique Realm. Shen Yuxin replied to the queries of both sisters as she said, "These Orbs of light are Hearts of the Mystique realms, they can create such Mystique Realms independently, but since I fused them they will be a lot stronger than a single Mystique Realm Even I can not destroy this now." Huo Rong tilted her head as she asked, "Can they withstand the eruption of Qi from his awakening now?" Shen Yuxin replied with confidence, "Of course they can, because even if they can''t do it I have set up a formation inside these Hearts of the Mystique Realm and connected them with outside the Continent, so all excess power will be poured outside and it won''t burden the Mystique Realm at all." Huo Rong and Bing Rong revealed surprised expressions as Bing Ruo spoke with a voice filled with admiration, "Woah, Big Sis, you are really considerate of Yuan to use a treasure of such a level for him." Yuxin smiled gently at the sisters as she raised her hand while saying, "Let me send Yuan to the Heart of all the Mystique Realms, the concentration of qi is also on a whole another level over there.'' As she waved her hand Yuan was teleported to the Heart of all Mystique realms. The Qi Vortex was still above his head as its expansion speed increased with a better environment. It reached 990,000km in height rapidly. Just as it hit the 1,000,000 km mark, it released ferocious pressure in its surroundings but this time it didn''t make any waves in the Mystique Realm space. It continued expanding, 1,000,000 km 1,100,000 km 1,300,000 km 1,700,000 km 1,900,000 km 2,500,000 km 3,200,000 km 4,600,000 km 5,800,000 km 7,300,000 km 8,700,000 km 9,990,000 km As it nearly reached 10,000,000 km in height, both Bing Rong and Huo Rong closed their mouths in shock at the absurdity of the situation. Just as they were about to speak something else, the Vortex expanded again and reached 10,000,000 km in height. With this achievement it released an Ancient aura as it released a heavy sense of viscosity of life, as if everything is meaningless in its presence, only it reigns Supreme in this whole world, exuding a sense of timeless power and supreme authority. Huo Rong and Bing Rong looked horrified as the pressure which was exuding from the manifestation was affecting reality as the pressure upon them was enough to bend their knees. Bing Rong spoke with difficulty, "Big Sis, what is this power? It seems to hold supreme authority wherever it goes, even though all those 9 Mystique Realmsbine and through countless dimensions away that power is still affecting us." Shen Yuxin was still standing tall looking as if there was not any pressure on her. Looking at their condition she spoke, "You guys should withstand this pressure it is good to consolidate your foundation. As for this power, even I''m not sure anymore what this is." As she was about to continue analyzing the current situation some more, the qi vortex began expanding at an ever more rapid rate than before. 10,000,000 km 12,000,000 km 15,000,000 km 20,000,000 km 25,000,000 km 30,000,000 km 35,000,000 km 40,000,000 km 50,000,000 km As the Qi Vortex reached 50,000,000 km in size the pressure became much more heavier on all surroundings, so much so that it began sending shockwaves and pressure outside the Mystique Realm with the use of those formations. Huo Rong and Bing Rong, who had just adapted to the previous pressure nearly kneeled down as the pressure on them increased all of a sudden, Huo Rong gritted her teeth as she spoke, "Why the hell is this Qi Tornado still increasing? I don''t even know how big it is anymore." Yuxin replied to her rambling, "It has passed the 50,000,000 mark and is still increasing." Before she even finished speaking the Qi Vortex reached a height of 60,000,000 km as it continued expanding. 75,000,000 km 85,000,000 km 90,000,000 km As it reached the 90,000,000 km mark Yuxin spoke to both sisters, brace yourself for the next impact" Just as she finished speaking the Qi Vortex shook and reached an unparalleled height of 100,000,000 km. As the Qi Vortex reached the unparalleled height of 100,000,000 km, it released a blinding radiance towering above the heavens. The Qi Vortex seemed to epass all things inside it with its sheer magnitude. Both Huo Rong and Bing Rong kneeled on the ground due to the sheer pressure the Qi Vortex was releasing, even Shen Yuxin was having trouble standing straight in that pressure. Even Shen Yuxin''s knees were bending a little due to the pressure from the vortex. Suddenly, the Yin-Yang symbol behind Yuan started to glow with an otherworldly radiance. blinding even the eyes of the two sisters and Shen Yuxin, all three of them closed their eyes on instinct as if something bad would happen if they dared to see what was happening in front of them. But this feeling left as soon as it came, maybe because of the close karmic ties between Shen Yuan and the three of them. As they looked at the Yin-Yang symbol, the symbol began to rotate, each rotation raising the pressure on both the sisters and Shen Yuxin The sheer force of this energy sends rippling waves in all directions. The emergence of the Dao Symbol made even thews of mystique realms tremble. An aura of ancient timelessness was being released from Shen Yu, affecting the surroundings, and making them feel insignificant in his presence. With a final rotation, the Yin-Yang wheel released a blinding radiance as the physique of Yuan was revealed in all of its glory. The physique was unlike anything any of them had seen or heard of, it was indescribable with their mortal knowledge andnguage. The Qi Vortex now imbued with Primordial powers of the Physique began releasing such a tremendous amount of qi all around that even the 9 Hearts of the Mystique Realm were finding it difficult to control. Just then as if time had stopped, a Transcendent power filled the Mystique Realm and began spreading to the edges of the Mystique Realm. Chapter 8: Supression As soon as the Transcendent power began spreading in the Mystique Realm, it released a blinding radiance that stopped all the energy flow, it seemed as if time stopped moving. Both Shen Yuan''s aunts and his mother froze on the spot as soon as they felt the power spreading all over the ce. It did not affect them at all though, just moved past them to cover all the areas affected by the physique. It began suppressing the physique and made restrictions on it, it formedplicated runes beyond mortalprehension, a mortal can stare at them for an eternity but he won''t be able to understand even an atom''s worth of knowledge from it. The materialization of the Yin-Yang symbol tried to resist it but it could not do anything against the might of those runes as the physique did not have any ce to draw the power from. The size of the Qi Vortex began reducing little by little as the restriction from the transcendent power increased its output. 100,000,000 km 90,000,000 km As the size of the Qi Vortex began reducing the pressure that it was exerting on its surroundings began decreasing. Huo Rong and Bing Rong felt lighter as the pressure kept decreasing on them at a steady rate. Shen Yuxin stood straight again as she felt the pressure decreasing. Even after she stood straight, she didn''t have the courage to speak anything in the presence of that transcendent power. As the qi vortex continued to shrink from 90,000,000 km 80,000,000 km 70,000,000 km The Yin-Yang materialization visibly lost its luster as the symbol decreased in size as well and a lot of otherplimentary materializations became lost such as the Sun-Moon wheel, Celestials in harmony, etc. The reduction speed of the Qi Vortex elerated as the phenomenon around the Yin-Yang symbol began to decrease. 60,000,000 km 50,000,000 km 40,000,000 km 30,000,000 km 20,000,000 km Shen Yuan was in the center of the Qi Vortex, he couldn''t feel anything as it was not happening inside his body the the very concept of his physique. His level was too low to understand the sheer magnitude of the things happening around him. He was sitting cross-legged in the very center of Qi Vortex, meditating peacefully. But something deep inside him stirred a little as it felt the presence of that transcendent power, but it didn''t react after some time, meanwhile, the Qi Vortex reached 10,000,000 km in size. As it continued decreasing from 10,000,000 to 9,000,000, it slowed the speed of shrinking. 8,000,000 km 7,000,000 km The restrictions were bing more and more powerful as the longer it went on. The runes on the physique became denser as well. 6,000,000 km 5,000,000 km 4,000,000 km 3,000,000 km 2,000,000 km 1,000,000 km Just as the Qi Vortex got reduced to the height of 1,000,000, the pressure released from it reduced greatly but did not stop reducing. 900,000 km 800,000 km 700,000 km 600,000 km 500,000 km The restrictive power began slowing down as it looked like the power was nearly done with restricting Shen Yuan''s physique. 400,000 km 300,000 km 200,000 km As the Qi Vortex nearly reached the 100,000 km mark the transcendent power around the Mystique Realm began vanishing, as if it never existed in the first ce. After all the mysterious power vanished from the spot the Qi Vortex was left alone with a mere height of 100,000 km. Even after getting so many restrictions the Yin-Yang symbol was illuminating brilliant light as the moon in the night sky. After everything calmed down in the Mystique Realm as all themotion stopped and the Transcendent power vanished, Shen Yuxin looked around her to see if the power affected anything. After seeing right and left she was left speechless as not even a spec of dust was destroyed from all that, while both Huo Rong and Bing Rong also stood up straight as they also saw the same thing as what Shen Yuxin Saw. Huo Rong asked in a low voice, almost as if she was afraid that someone would hear her, "Big Sis, why is the Mystique Realm so quiet? And how is there no destruction at all?" Shen Yuxin looked at Huo Rong and replied, "Because the unknown power from before permeated everywhere in the Mystique Realm and protected it from being destroyed or affected, otherwise even the deeperyer of space would have been affected by it." Bing Rong then asked after listening to her exnation, "Then what happened to Yuan''s physique? Why does it look like it lost the majority of its power?" To which Shen Yuxin replied, "You didn''t see the runes before? His physique got sealed because its level was far beyond this world, our world can''t bear the power of such a high level physique so a transcendent power put restrictions on it, his physique might be the only physique with this level in our world right now." As they fell silent because of the uneasiness in their heart, Shen Yuxin noticed that something was off as she spoke to herself. "Why is the Qi Vortex not merging with his body to nourish his physique? Is it not finished yet?" Bing Rong and Huo Rong listened to her muttering and revealed a confused expression as well. Just as one of them was about to speak, all three of them felt an inexplicable chill w on their heart, they felt as if the world was about to end. As all three of them stood rooted on the spot due to the inexplicable chill they felt just now, Dao Hums began to resound around all of them. From the center of the Mystique Realm where Shen Yuan was sitting crossed-legged, a divine light began spreading and the qi vortex above him churned. All three of them widened their eyes at the unbelievable scene in front of them. Huo Rong mustered her courage as she whispered to Shen Yuxin. "Big Sis, has his awakening ritual not finished yet?" Shen Yuxin stated straight ahead and replied with utmost conviction, "I don''t know." Both Huo Rong and Bing Rong were left speechless as they screamed internally, ''Then why do you sound as if you have it all figured out!!'' As they looked forward once more the Dao Hums began to strengthen as various scenes manifested in front of them. There were so many scenes that they couldn''t even count them, the entire Mystique Realm was filled with these manifestations for as far as their eyes could see. Carps jumping through the Dragon Gate, Celestial Dragons soaring the skies, Phoenix soaring through the Nine Heavens, Nine-Tailed Foxes singing and dancing, Humans lighting the fire of humankind, Sun and Moon revolving around each other, Realms being created, etc. There were manifestations from myriad races and celestial bodies. Then, in the center of it all was Shen Yuan, sitting peacefully going through his awakening ceremony without any signs of waking up. As those manifestations began to move his Qi Vortex which was reduced due to the Transcendent Restrictions rose crazily, easily surpassing 10,000,000 km within the blink of an eye. Even then it didn''t stop expanding crazily as if even the heavens themselves wouldn''t be able to stop it, the manifestations began more and more real as the Qi Vortex churned with such might that it left all three of them breathless. As the Qi Vortex expanded in size it began releasing monstrous pressure on Shen Yuxin and the two sisters, Both of them nearly went on their knees with a Qi Vortex of a mere 40,000,000 km. They gritted their pretty white teeth as they withstood the pressure that was bearing down on them due to the Qi Vortex. They were doing better this time due to their experience fromst time, and even they were surprised as they could see the visible improvements in their foundation after withstanding the thrashing of the Qi Vortex. Shen Yuxin''s brows also furrowed from the pressure as the Qi Vortex continued expanding, reaching 70,000,000 km in an instant. It was putting a lot more pressure on them as time continued to pass. When it reached 90,000,000 km both Huo Rong and Bing Rong nearly kneeled dow to the pressure but they resisted it this time with more familiarity. They both had sweat tricking down their backs as they saw the Qi Vortex reach its former might at 100,000,000 km it again released a blinding radiance as the pressure it released nearly made both of the sisters kneel again, but with the previous experience, they withstood it this time. They gritted their teeth as they resisted the pressure with all their might, sweat was dripping down their face as they used this chance to further solidify their foundation, they looked at Shen Yuxin from behind her, who was still standing straight. Their eyes lit up with pride as they thought, ''This is our Big Sis! Even in such pressure she doesn''t feel a thing and is standing as straight as a spear.'' s, only if they saw her face, her forehead was covered with cold sweat as she resisted the pressure from the Qi Vortex. She thought, ''If it continued increasing at this rate then even I might not be able to stand straight here.'' ... A strange existence existed in an Unknown realm so far away that the mortals of Deste Continent couldn''t evenprehend. The strange existence, which was flickering in and out of existence, it was as if it existed and did not exist at the same time, everywhere one looked there was pure chaos and nothing, even if someone was trillions of light years away from the strange existence position they wouldn''t find anything in this realm. There was nothing but pure Primordial Chaos, as if only this strange existence existed, only the globe of light was eternal in this ever-changing world. From time to time, countless spatial rifts were opening and closing from which one could see countless lower realms but even these lower realms were far stronger than the measly world in which Shen Yuan was born. The Globe of light shook as it felt something, a sound came from it as if the Great Dao itself spoke, "What is this presence I''m feeling? Has the one I have always been waiting for arrived in this Chaos?" The being mulled over its thought as it tried to look for the source, "Interesting, he was born in that corner of the world, that''s why it took me such a long time to find him, otherwise even a zeptosecond would have been enough to find him if he was in a higher world, he is in one of the lowest realms." The Globe of light buzzed as it zapped out of existence and went towards the direction from where he felt vague fluctuations. It passed through countless lower realms in its journey but it passed through them without any issue, but as it passed through more lower realms the resistance of the Transcendent power became more powerful. As if saying ''No being this powerful belongs in such a lower realm'' but the being didn''t give a damn and just went through all obstacles in front of it. ... Back where Shen Yuan was going through his awakening ritual, the Qi Vortex was about to increase its size again, Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong got ready to brace for the impact. They thought it would increase by another 20,000,000 km or 30,000,000 km but it directly doubled in size from 100,000,000km to 200,000,000 km. Both Huo Rong and Bing Rong kneeled down without any hint of resistance, they gasped for air as they felt this overwhelming pressure pressing them down. Even the Mystique Realm was filled with the overwhelming power of the Qi Vortex. Chapter 9: Bloodline Awakening Even Shen Yuxin, who was standing tall until now, nearly sumbed to the pressure as her knees bent down. She resisted the pressure through her sheer will as she thought, ''This pressure is good enough to even strengthen my foundation, after all this is not normal pressure, but pressure from Great Dao itself.'' As she thought of this, she found the will to stand against the pressure as she gritted her teeth, trying to stand straight, but her eyes widened in shock as she raised her head to see the scene before her eyes. The Qi Vortex which just reached the height of 200,000,000 km began expanding again at a speed even crazier than before as it reached the height of 400,000,000. The pressure in the surroundings doubled again as Shen Yuxin''s knees bent much more and she nearly kneeled down. But even this was not enough to make her knees bend as she looked at the vortex with eyes filled with resolve to stand straight against it no matter what. As if angered by the re of a mortal, the Qi Vortex churned as it began expanding without limit. 500,000,000 km 600,000,000 km 700,000,000 km As it reached 800,000,000 km of height this time, the realm stagnated, as if a storm wasing. The pressure it released all of a sudden was so much that even Shen Yuan kneeled down this time. But the pressure didn''t do much and got reduced soon and didn''t increase again as if in consideration of her connection with Shen Yuan, otherwise both Huo Rong and Bing Rong would have died from the pressure. But the Qi Vortex didn''t stop expanding, quite the opposite of it, it increased in size without stopping. 900,000,000 km 1,000,0000,000 km At this size there was another change, all manifestations around the Vortex increased in size and became massive beings the size of Stars. They became so real that it was hard to say if they were mere manifestations of Shen Yuan''s bloodline or living breathing beings. The pressure became so much higher that even the space of the Mystique Realm which was reinforced with 8 more Hearts of the Mystique Realm began shaking as if it would break. Shen Yuxin''s eyes widened in horror as she looked at the shaking space, she thought while looking around and feeling the space, ''If the Qi Vortex leaves this Mystique Realm then the whole of Deste Continent will be destroyed with this pressure, immeasurable lives will be lost.'' She thought long and hard but couldn''te up with anything to solve the current predicament. ''Yuan Oh Yuan, you will get your mother killed at this rate, what is this monstrous awakening ritual?'' As she continued thinking of ways to salvage the situation, the Qi Vortex continued expanding. 2,000,000,000 km 5,000,000,000 km After crossing 10,000,000,000 km in height the Mystique Realm began breaking apart, the formations that were put in ce to release the pressure to the outside seemed to fail Shen Yuxin''s expectations. Even while the Space was breaking apart from the Mystique Realm due to the overwhelming pressure, Shen Yuan did not feel a single thing, he was still sitting in the center of the realm peacefully. As the Qi Vortex nearly reached 100,000,000,000 km in height, the space in many parts of the Mystique Realm shattered, and the pressure began releasing into the outside world, destroying many ces. Shen Yuxin looked around at the destruction as she gritted her teeth, ''No, I have to stop this! I can''t let this continue.'' Even though she tried to do something in this situation, but even with her will she couldn''t muster the strength to stand up. As the Qi Vortex continued, its expansion speed kept on multiplying till it reached a height so massive that words couldn''t convey it. At one point the realm started breaking, even the infinite Mystique Realm couldn''t bear the pressure of the Qi Vortex. The pressure leaked into the outside world from the world fissures and brings about destruction to all of the Deste Continent and beyond. Both Huo Rong and Bing Rong lost consciousness long ago due to the pressure and even Shen Yuxin started losing her consciousness. As soon as she lost consciousness the whole realm was obliterated and the Qi Vortex manifested in the outside world in all its glory. Its limitless height stood tall with all its majesty as it nearly destroyed the whole world, the Deste Continent was destroyed and shattered into countless pieces. The boundless ocean outside vaporized as well, but at thest second something strange happened. The whole world stopped moving, the oceans stopped vaporizing, the scattered continent got fixed in ce, and the Qi Vortex and all its surrounding manifestations became still as a stone statue. A strange globe of light appeared in the sky of the Deste Continent, it was suspended in mid-air and flickering in and out of existence as if it existed and did not exist at the same time. The being looked towards the Eastern Deste Region as it buzzed, ''Is this the person I was looking for all this while?'' As soon as the being saw Shen Yuan, it began to have doubts about the destined one, ''I don''t think the one I was looking for has this much talent, I thought he would be a waste and I would have to use all means to make him into an Apex Existence, but well I shall stay with this young man for the time being and see how it all goes.'' The strange existence became intrigued as it saw the potential of Shen Yuan and decided to stay with him for a while, it thought all of this in an instant as it began to move towards Shen Yuan. The Strange Existence decided to stay with him to see what was up with this Mortal. The strange globe of light spoke for the first time after arriving in this world as its voice felt like the Great Dao itself was speaking, "This Qi Vortex is truly impressive, the biggest Qi Vortex I have seen is around 10,000,000,000 km in size in one of the highest realms from that existence awakening ritual, and he already became a Supreme Hegemon of his Era. Let''s see how far this one will go with a Qi Vortex as big as the endless cosmos." After it finished speaking, the strange globe began to move towards Shen Yuan''s position, the world was still in a motionless state, as if time was stopped, even the Qi Vortex with its seemingly limitless size was standing still without moving an inch. The globe reached Shen Yuan''s position in an instant from the other corner of the Deste Continent. As it arrived above the Qi Vortex. Something inside Shen Yuan moved even in that suspended world, as it was provoked by the action of that strange existence that halted the world, his bloodline began to churn as it released otherworldly pressure and the Qi Vortex began to move slowly. The strange globe of light paused in its track, feeling confused as its power didn''t work, but even then it didn''t think much of it and used a little bit more of its power as it spoke. "I shall reverse the time of this realm so the destruction can be reversed, I don''t want my host to think that he destroyed the realm and all his loved ones, and I think the awakening ceremony is yet to finishpletely." As the being muttered to itself, it released a blinding brilliance and all things began reversing, rivers flowed in reverse, the sun and moon went back to their ces, and the destroyed parts began rearranging themselves. Even the Mystique Realm that was destroyed was restored, though even the effect of reversing time couldn''t affect the Qi Vortex, as the strange globe of light buzzed everything went back in ce before the Qi Vortex destroyed everything. But even this was not a solution as the globe of light spoke, "Looks like this low-level Mystique Realm can''t withstand the pressure of this level of awakening ritual." The strange existence thought for a second and transferred Shen Yuan to a different world, ''He will be able toplete his awakening in this space without worry since it is absolute infinite and it can withstand any amount of pressure.'' The being decided that it was enough for now and went towards Shen Yuan''s Sea of Consciousness to settle down. As it reached its sea of consciousness the awakening ritual continued as the Qi Vortex rumbled with such intensity that it began doubling in size each second. Reaching unimaginable heights soon. It continued for some time more until it stopped, but the Bloodline in Shen Yuan''s body churned as it began devouring the whole of Qi Vortex, but it felt that it wasn''t enough to materialize itself in the Sea of Consciousness inside Shen Yuan. The Bloodline took on the avatar of pure darkness filled with nothing but void as if it devoured the creation itself, even the strange globe of light paused as it looked at the manifestation of the bloodline. ''Hmm? What is this bloodline, why have I never seen anything like this before? Is thi-'' Before it could finish its train of thought the bloodline jumped up towards the strange entity in order to devour it. But the strange entity was no joke, it conjured a barrier of indescribable things in order to stop the bloodline avatar. But the avatar consumed even that barrier which was made with higher-orderws and continued towards the strange entity. In response to it, the strange entity teleported back and created many more such barriers saying in a voice filled with gravity and majesty, "I don''t want to have a fight with you here, I''m merely here to observe him to see what is the deal about him." But even after listening to the strange entity''s voice, the avatar seemed to not hear a thing as it continued forward, breaking one barrier after another. The strange entity sighed as it formed weapons around itself. There were Swords, Spears, Sabers, Halberds, Bow and arrows, Staff, Dagger, Axe, Whip, Hammer, Fan, and a lot more weapons formed all around the strange globe of light. The strange existence spoke again in its majestic voice that seemed to shake the heavens as it contained a hint of rage in it as if conveying ''How dare a mere ant try to shake the heavens''. "Stop this nonsense before I decide to eradicate you." All weapons pointed at the avatar of the bloodline as the strange globe of light waited for a response. But the response it got was an even frenzied avatar as it began breaking apart the barriers at an ever faster speed. The strange existence became enraged, feeling insulted that a mere bloodline dared to defy an exalted being such as itself. It released all the weapons that were already ready to shoot towards the bloodline avatar. The bloodline avatar continued moving forward as if he didn''t see all those weapons flying toward it, all the weapons were filled with such might that each and every one of them could have destroyed the whole world outside if they were released. But inside Shen Yuan''s Sea of Consciousness, both parties were reinforcing the ce either deliberately or with sheer instinct. Even with such might the weapons were ineffective against the avatar as it just devoured them all, it destroyed all the barriers and nearly reached the strange existence but at thest instant the strange existence teleported to a different ce. The strange existence was truly shaken this time as it didn''t know what this being was. ''What is this bloodline, how can it devour my attacks which are infused with such a potent power of Dao.'' The strange existence calmly analyzed the situation in which he was right now. It even thought of leaving but its pride wouldn''t let it leave so easily. The globe of light conjoined 7 massive swords and arranged them in a formation to attack. ''This should be enough to eradicate even Immortal Emperors with mere wisps of its power. Let''s see how this avatar will dare against it.'' The avatar which had just turned around in the direction in which the strange globe teleported to and stared at the massive Sword Formation. Chapter 10: Strange Existence vs Bloodline Avatar But even that was not enough to stop it as it raised its hand and consumed all the Swords, making the strange globe of light shocked speechless. After that, the strange globe of light kept teleporting and tried using various means but it couldn''t do anything against the bloodline avatar even after a long time. It got so frustrated that it cursed, ''Fuck! What is this bloodline even made of?." The strange existence began having thoughts of retreating to get away from this abomination, "Hmph! If it wasn''t because you have home-field advantage and I can''t use even a fraction of my powers here, you would have been annihted by now." Of course, this was all pure bullshit as the strange globe of light was restricted due to the bloodline, it decided that it had had enough of this fight as it tried to leave by teleporting out. But after using its teleportation power it still couldn''t leave Shen Yuan''s Sea of Consciousness and this realization left a deep chill in its non-existent body. It tried various means to leave from teleporting outside to fading away in the river of time and many more but s everything seemed futile in front of that abomination of a bloodline that seemed to devour all concepts. The globe of light for desperate as it didn''t see any way out of its current predicament it nearly tried all ways that it could think of. As the avatar finally began moving again after seeing the Globe of Light futile struggle, the Globe of Light began retreating and it reached the centre of the Sea of Consciousness, where Shen Yuan''s true spirit was residing, it paused there when an idea struck it. It warned the bloodline avatar, "Let me leave, otherwise the consequences aren''t something which you can bear if I decide to take a drastic step." The bloodline avatar didn''t stop as if it didn''t hear the threatening words of the globe of light, it continued moving towards the centre of the Sea of Consciousness where the globe of light was. The globe of light buzzed as it got angered and decided to eradicate the True Spirit of Shen Yuan. As it attacked the True Spirit the bloodline raised its hand and a thinyer of barrier formed in front of the attack of the strange existence. The attack was blocked by the barriers as it greatly fraudsters the strange globe of light. It tried again and again but to no avail. It got so furious that it became still as an ancient well, it spoke without a hint of emotion this time, "Are you truly going to push me this far?" The avatar paused as it sensed the gravity of the situation, and it began rushing towards the globe of light as if trying to prevent whatever would happen next. The globe of light buzzed with such intensity that it would destroy the infinite realms as it burned itself and lunged toward the True Spirit of Shen Yuan. The bloodline avatar created another barrier but the globe of light destroyed it with its current power and jumped inside the True Spirit. The Avatar came in front of the True Spirit and stabbed its hand inside the core of the True Spirit to stop him from trying to destroy the True Spirit from the inside. After getting inside and finding out that it couldn''t do anything to stop the bloodline avatar, the strange existence decided to take an extreme step as it started fusing with the True Spirit. But the bloodline avatar won''t let it have its way as it used its power to stop it, after fighting for some time the bloodline avatar managed to stop the globe of light¡­partially. As it was half fused with it, but it came at a cost that it became inseparable from Shen Yuan and it couldn''t even have any influence on him due to the Bloodline Avatar. The bloodline avatar also became helpless in front of this situation, as they truly began talking with one another as equals at this moment. But they talked with such secrecy and caution that theyyered endless amounts of restrictions and formation inside the Sea of Consciousness of Shen Yuan that one would wonder if they were nning to plunder the heavens themselves ¡­ Shen Yuan woke up from his awakening process and found that in front of him, his mother and both of his aunts were lying unconscious in the Mystique Realm. His face changed slightly as worry clouded his eyes, he stood up and ran toward his family. He checked to see if they were injured, and after checking all of them he found that they were merely unconscious. He heaved a sigh of relief as he realized that they were all fine, just as he began to speak to himself, "What happ-" He was abruptly stopped as he heard a strange noise. [Ding!] Chapter 11: System As soon as he heard the strange noise, he stood up in shock while shouting, "Who''s there?! Show Yourself!" Shen Yuan looked around in shock as he couldn''t understand how anyone could get inside his mother''s Mystique Realm. Just then the voice continued, [Host has awakened the Primordial Harem System!] This time there was a notification screen in front of Shen Yuan. He was shocked as he looked at the strange panel in front of him inwardly thinking, "Is this some kind of joke? Or have I really awakened the legendary golden finger from my past life?'' Shen Yuan took a moment to make sense of the situation as he was wary of the unknown system, as he asked, "Who are you?" The system replied, [I am the most powerful system in existence. The Primordial Harem System.] Shen Yuan captured the keyword as he asked in slight confusion, "Wait, so you mean there are other people with the system as well?" The system replied, [Indeed, that is correct, host; there are countless people with different systems throughout the infinite realms.] Shen Yuan took a moment to digest the fact that there are countless protagonist level people out there as he thought, ''Well that is to be expected after thinking about the size of the world, this is merely the Deste Continent and it''s already nearly infinite in size, I won''t be able to explore all of it even if I have a lifetime worth of time.'' After thinking about it, Shen Yuan said, "Show me the main Window." His thought process was simple: if it was a system, then it would surely have a main window. So he called out to see it. [Ding!] [Primordial Harem System] [Host: Shen Yuan] [Title: None ] [Cultivation Base: Strength Awakening ] [Bloodline: ???] [Physique- Saint-Rank Primal Harmony Physique (Primordial Rank Sealed)] [Talents- ] [Techniques- Basic Qi Gathering Technique] [Chaos Coins-0] [Rtionship] [System Shop] [Inventory] ¡­ Shen Yuan''s eyes widened as he saw that a main screen really materialized in front of him. He began looking at all the details. "Hmm, so the system name is really Primordial Harem System, what a weird name." The system replied almost instantaneously as if it got offended by his remark. It spoke in the same robotic voice with a hint of annoyance in it. [The system got its name from the deepest desire of the Host, If the host had desired to Conquer the world then it would have been a World Domination System etc] Shen Yuan was shocked speechless as his face turned red from embarrassment as he hurriedly changed the subject, "Cough, Why is my bloodline name not mentioned?" He found it odd that the almighty system hadn''t named his bloodline in the interface. [The Host Level is too low for this level of knowledge.] A wless lie, since even the system didn''t know the origin of the bloodline, it decided not to tell him that and just straight up bullshit its way through. Shen Yuan was surprised as he didn''t expect that even the system that proimed itself to be the strongest in existence would be unable to identify his bloodline. He spoke with a hint of contempt in his voice as he believed that the system was lying to him, "Hoh, what is this? Is the almighty system unable to identify the mere bloodline of this mortal?" The system could see the contempt and doubt about its power in Shen Yuan''s voice but it decided to stay silent. After not getting any reply from the system Shen Yuan decided to check what else was in the status window. He saw his physique and his brows furrowed as he saw that it was in a sealed state, he pondered why it was so as he thought, ''Is it one of the troupes in which the Physique was sealed due to its immense power by the family of the protagonist to save him from the enemies of the family? Or is it because the Physique is too strong for this world to bear?'' As he thought of these he decided to consult with the system, ''System, why is my physique sealed? And what are the ranks of physique?" He asked the question which has been bugging him ever since he saw the rank of his physique, to which the system replied. [Physique: A unique body made up of heaven and earth energies, providing cultivators with varying levels of strength and abilities. There are an infinite number of different physiques.] [Host physique is sealed due to its overwhelming power, this world can barely bear the power of a Supreme Physique or else thews will go into disarray, that''s why the Host''s physique is sealed.] [As for the ranks of Physique and Bloodline, they are decided into various grades starting with, Mortal Physique/Bloodline Earthly Physique/Bloodline Heavenly Physique/Bloodline Supreme Physique/Bloodline Saint Physique/Bloodline ¡­ Primordial Physique/Bloodline ¡­ These are the grades of bloodline and physique] Shen Yuan''s brows twitched as he asked, "System, Why do I feel that quite a few important ranks are missing." [Host''s cultivation base is too low to worry about other levels, Host should focus on his cultivation and not be a weak trash.] It looked like the system finally found an opportunity to take a jab at Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan felt a vein pop up on his forehead as he spoke through gritted teeth, "What do you mean trash? Are you forgetting that I just awakened today?" He nearly screamed at the end of his sentence, but the systempletely ignored his question. Shen Yuan was too tired to argue with it as well so he continued looking at the system panel while thinking about his physique situation. ''So my guess was correct, my physique is indeed sealed due to its overwhelming power. Ehh, wait, how am I supposed to unseal it??'' At the thought of that Shen Yuan hurriedly asked system, "System! How am I supposed to unseal my physique?" [Host will have to figure that out himself.] Shen Yuan nearly punched the system interface in frustration. Chapter 12: System II Shen Yuan took a deep breath to calm down as he tried to ignore the question about his physique that was piquing his curiosity. He began looking at the rest of the options in the system panel. His eyes focused on the Talent option as he looked a little disappointed and asked, "System, do I not have any talent? Even with this overpowered physique and bloodline?" System replied, [Host needs not worry about that; your Talents will be taken as you cultivate, or you can even buy any kind of talent bloodline or physique in the system shop.] At the end of its sentence, the system''s voice held a hint of pride in it. After all, it was no mere feat to be able to grant any and all kinds of talent, bloodline, or physique to anyone. Even the hegemons of this ne cannot do that easily. {Author note-''ne'' can be changedter in the story depending on the cosmology, and I put this in the middle of the chap because the chaps are free so word count doesn''t matter, I won''t do this in the paid chaps} Shen Yuan wasn''t much shocked when he heard that it could grant him any physique, bloodline, or talent. After all in so many webnovels that he read in his previous life, many of the systems were capable of that, if his self-proimed strongest system couldn''t do as much, then he would be truly disappointed. He hummed in agreement as he continued looking at the next option, "Techniques huh, since I have only learned the basic qi gathering technique for my awakening ceremony that''s why it is only showing that." Soon his gaze fell on the next option, he had a vague idea after looking at the name to what it might be but he still asked the system to be sure, "System, What is Chaos Coins?" System replied, [The Chaos Coins are basically the System''s currency, with it you can buy anything from the Shop. You can get Chaos Coins bypleting the system quest for now. In the future there can be more ways to earn it.] Shen Yuan nodded his head in understanding as he put the matter of earning Chaos Coins to the back of his head, as he looked at the next option, "System, what is this rtionship option?" [This will record the personal rtionship of the host.] [Rtionship] [Family] [Name: Shen Yuxin] Cultivation Base: ??? Affection Level: 85/100 Notes: Adoptive mother. A beautiful woman with blue eyes, white hair, and milky white skin. She found Shen Yuan as a baby and adopted him. Deeply cares for him and ensures he has a strong foundation for cultivation. [Name: Huo Rong] Cultivation Base: Origin Core Creation Realm Loyalty Level: 70/100 Notes: Maid and Aunt. Assists Shen Yuxin in taking care of Shen Yuan and other of the Mansion matters. Treats him as her own son or little brother depending on her mood. Specializes in fire-based techniques. [Name: Bing Rong] Cultivation Base: Origin Core Creation Realm Loyalty Level: 70/100 Notes: Maid and Aunt. She also helps in taking care of Shen Yuan. Shares a strong bond with him. Treats him as her own son or little brother depending on her mood. Specializes in ice-based techniques. [Potential Lover(s)] [Name: Shen Yuxin] [Name: Huo Rong] [Name: Bing Rong] [Allies] [Enemies] As soon as he read the potential lovers panel his face went as red as a tomato as he shouted, "W-W-WHY IS MY MOTHER AND AUNTS IN THE POTENTIAL LOVERS SECTION??" The system remained unperturbed in the face of Shen Yuan''s outburst, responding in its usual monotone voice with a hint of disdain in it. [The system identifies potential lovers based on the interaction between the host and other people as well as looking in the heart of the host. You yourself have feelings for them, that''s why the three of them have been added as potential love partners.] Shen Yuan''s face became even redder as the system mercilessly exposed his deepest desires, he gritted his teeth and decided to ignore the stupid system. He decided to change the topic else the system continue to make fun of him, "Why is there no one in the allies and enemies system panel?" This time system replied with a hint of sarcasm as it said, [That''s because the host has never left his home and never met any people that can be called your friends or enemies.] Another Jab. Shen Yuan felt a vein pop up on his head as he punched the system screen in front of him, but his hand went through the screen without harming it. He took a deep breath to calm down and ignore the system looking at thest few options visible to him. ''Now only system shop and Inventory are left, Though I can pretty much guess the features of both of them, might as well ask about them as well.'' "System, Exin the functions of System Shop and Inventory in short." The system replied in a robotic tone, [Host can purchase various things in System Shop, it refreshes every 24 hours and you can purchase new different things. The system shop will get upgraded as host cultivation increases. And Host has a Small sub-space which can be upgraded by using Chaos Coins.] Shen Yuan was a bit surprised as he asked, "Hmm? The inventory space isn''t unlimited?" [It is not.] A precise reply, which made Shen Yuan more annoyed than anything else. He ignored the inventory and asked, "Show me what is in the system shop then." Chapter 13: System Shop He ignored the inventory and asked, "Show me what is in the system shop then." [System Shop] ==Premium== [Heavenly Sword Art] [Golden-Buddha Physique] [Heaven''s Fortunate Pupils] [Sword Emperor Embryo] [God-Demon Bloodline] [Supreme Crushing Formation] [Star Smelting Cauldron] == Daily == [Strengthening Talisman] [Bag of Spirit Stones] [Cultivation Experience Manual (Basic)] [Qi Replenishing Pill] =Special Offers== Limited-Time Offer: Lightning Talisman Description: A talisman that unleashes a powerful lightning strike of Nascent Soul Realm. (Offer expires in 04:29:07) Sun God Physique Description: A legendary physique that grants the wielder immense power over fire and sr energy, enhancing their strength, speed, and durability. Those with the Sun God Physique can harness the power of the sun to incinerate their enemies. (Offer expires in 04:29:07) Exclusive Deal: God ying Sword Art Description: A sword technique that unleashes devastating attacks infused with monstrous killing intent. (Offer expires in 04:29:07) sh Sale: Qi Explosion Pill Pack (10) Description: Make the cultivator qi explode so the cultivator can explode with much more power. (Offer avable for the next hour) Special Promotion: Golden Lotus Seed Description: A rare seed that enhances cultivation speed when consumed. (Offer expires in 04:29:07) 04:29:07 Till Reset Shen Yuan read all the avable items with great focus, the one that attracted his attention first was Heavenly Sword Art, he asked the system as soon as he read about the technique, "Why is there no price written for this Heavenly Sword Art?" [Host please see that the price is not written for not only the Heavenly Sword Art but it is not written for any of the avable items.] Shen Yuan''s eyes clouded with confusion as he asked the system, "Why are there no prices written for them all?" To which the system replied with a slightly mocking voice. [How many Chaos Coins does the host have?] {Author- System currency Essence will be changed to Chaos Coins} Shen Yuan took a moment to realize that the system was mocking him, he nearly screamed as he said, "How the fuck am I supposed to get Chaos Coins when you haven''t even given me any quest yet?" The system replied, [Host will have to trigger the quests himself with his choices and actions.] "What does that mean?" [...] The system ignored him this time, Shen Yuan was getting used to the System''s antics by now. He thought, ''Now that I have se- hmm, why does it seem there are more options? Can I scroll down the screen?'' "System, are there more options below?" [Yes.] Shen Yuan got excited a little to find more options as he hurriedly asked, "What are you waiting for?? Hurry and show them to me." The system replied in a robotic voice, [The other options are locked currently.] Shen Yuan''s mouth twitched a little as he asked, "Then how am I supposed to unlock them?" [As host cultivation improves or during a special asion more options will be unlocked.] Shen Yuan nodded in understanding, having finished looking through the system he thought, ''So that sums up the system, hmm shouldn''t there be a wee gift for me from the system? I might get some heaven defying physique or weapon from it, or even an unparalleled technique!'' Shen Yuan got excited just thinking about the possibilities as he asked the system in a slightly excited tone. "System, where is my wee gift? There should be one right??" The system was silent for a bit as it replied, [Ding!] [Congrattions Host for acquiring the wee gift pack.] [You have received the following items: [Ding!] [As a wee gift, you have received the following items:] [Body Refinement Elixir] Description: This elixir aids in building a strong foundation in the Body Forging Realm, enhancing physical strength, endurance, and vitality. It elerates the body''s adaptation to rigorous training and fortification. [Teleportation Talisman] Description: Allows the user to instantly teleport to a random location within a 50km radius. Useful for quick escapes. [White Robe] Description: A basic cultivator''s robe. Although simple, it offers decent protection andfort, making it suitable for early-stage cultivation. [Chaos Body Refinement Technique] Description: This formidable technique is designed to push the practitioner''s body to its limits, perfectly aligned with each stage of the Body Forging Realm. Each level of the technique enhances specific aspects of the practitioner''s body, from awakeningtent strength to vitalizing organs. The technique''s true strength lies in its ability to be recultivated after reaching the peak level, allowing the practitioner to refine and perfect their body continuously. Shen Yuan''s eye twitched as he read the first few items, he nearly cursed thinking that the system had scammed him of his expectations after seeing these simple trinkets. But he soon held his breath as he looked at the Chaos Body Refinement Technique. He hurriedly asked the system, "System, show me the details of this technique." [Chaos Body Refinement Technique] Description: The ultimate foundation building technique, structured to align with each level of the Body Forging Realm. This technique has 9 levels, each corresponding to a specific stage of body refinement: Strength Awakening: Focuses on awakeningtent physical strength, significantly boosting power and endurance. Flesh Training: Enhances muscle density and sticity, providing a substantial increase in physical strength and resilience. Viscera Training: Strengthens internal organs, improving overall vitality and durability against internal injuries. Altering Muscle: Refines muscle fibers, increasing both strength and flexibility to extraordinary levels. Bone Forging: Fortifies bones, making them as tough as steel and highly resistant to damage. Pulse Condensation: Enhances the flow of qi and blood through the meridians, optimizing energy distribution throughout the body. Tempering Marrow: Transforms bone marrow, boosting blood production and enhancing overall health and recovery rates. Tendon Transformation: Strengthens tendons, significantly increasing agility, speed, and explosive power. Organ Vitalization: Vitalizes major organs, ensuring peak physical condition and resilience against both internal and external threats. Upon reaching the 9th level, the practitioner can choose to recultivate the technique, further refining their body to even greater heights. The Chaos Body Refinement Technique is known for its rigorous training methods but offers unparalleled physical prowess.\\ [Host, note that the technique will undergo a change when you reach Organ Vitalisation realm.] Chapter 14: First Quest Shen Yuan''s eyes were almost shining as he read the description of the Chaos Body Refinement Technique, he clenched his fist as he spoke, "Good, finally I got something good from this shitty system." [Ding!] As soon as Shen Yuan heard the system notification, he got a slight chill on his back as he felt something bad was about to happen. [New Quest: A Kiss from Huo Rong or Bing Rong] Objective: Receive a kiss from either Huo Rong or Bing Rong. Details: - Quest Description: The system has detected a strong emotional bond between you and both of your aunts Huo Rong and Bing Rong. To deepen this connection and test your charm, the system has issued a quest for you to receive a kiss from one of them. -Reward: 50 Chaos Coins -Bonus Reward: An additional 200 Chaos Coins if the kiss is on the lips. - Time Limit: 7 Days Shen Yuan''s eyes widened as he read the quest details. His heart raced at the thought of getting a kiss from Huo Rong or Bing Rong, an idea that stirred both excitement and nervousness within him. "System, you''re really pushing it." Shen Yuan muttered, feeling his face heat up. But at the same time he was getting excited, just then he remembered that all 3 of them were still unconscious. He looked at the side where all of them were lying down here and there. He decided to get all of them in line so they could restfortably. He tried to pick up his mother first, but just as he moved towards her he remembered that he was still only a 7 year old kid. He hesitated thinking he might be too weak and began thinking of alternatives to what he could do. Just then the system spoke, [Host have already reached the first level of Body Forging Realm, you should not underestimate your strength now. It is iparable to before.] Shen Yuan got a bit surprised since he didn''t test his strength yet, he went to his mother to lift her, but his height made it awakard. He coughed and said, "Cough, no need to move her anywhere, I should just fix her posture and let her rest on this soft grass." Shen Yuan took a deep breath, focusing on his task. He knelt beside his mother, Shen Yuxin, and gently lifted her shoulders, supporting her back with his small but surprisingly strong arms. Carefully, he shifted her to a morefortable position, making sure her head was resting gently on the soft grass. He then adjusted her legs, straightening them out and ensuring they were aligned properly while admiring the softness of her thighs. His face got a little red as he touch her legs. He hurriedly ce down her legs and with delicate movements, he positioned her arms by her sides, making sure she looked peaceful and rxed. Throughout the process, Shen Yuan was mindful of his mother''sfort, making small adjustments until he was satisfied that she was in the best possible position. "There, that should be better," he murmured to himself, feeling good that he managed to aplish such a task with his small body. After ensuring his mother wasfortable, Shen Yuan turned his attention towards Huo Rong and Bing Rong. He took a moment to steady his breathing, his heart pounding with a mix of excitement and nervousness. After ensuring his mother wasfortable, Shen Yuan''s gaze turned to the his two aunts lying nearby, their bodies prone and vulnerable. He took a deep breath, his heart racing with excitement and a hint of lust. His eyes lingered on Huo Rong''s fiery red hair, spread out around her like a halo of me. He walked over to her, his steps slow and deliberate, his eyes drinking in the sight of her curves. As he reached her side, he gently lifted her upper body, his hand brushing against the softness of her firm breast. He supported her with one arm under her shoulders and the other under her knees, his gentle touch would have send shivers down her spine. Carefully he repositioned her, his fingers tracing the outline of her body, his eyes locked on hers. He adjusted her limbs, his hands lingering on her skin, making sure she wasfortable, and his heart racing with desire. Next, Shen Yuan approached Bing Rong, her ice-blue hair cascading like a frozen waterfall. He lifted and adjusted her position, his touch gentle, yet possessive. He took extra care, knowing how both aunts had always taken care of him, and how he''d always admired their beauty. As he finished, Shen Yuan stepped back, surveying the scene. His mother and the two women who had been like family to him were now resting peacefully, their postures corrected, their bodies rxed, and their beauty on full disy. His eyes lingered on Huo Rong''s parted lips, and Bing Rong''s delicate neck, his heart pounding with a mix of excitement and arousal. He shook his head as he spoke, "No no I shouldn''t be thinking this way, and why are these urges getting hard to control all of a sudden? After my awakening it''s like I became less able to control my emotions. Just then the system voice sounded, [That''s because your Physique is affecting your emotions Host, you need to control yourself and not partake in dual cultivation until you are 18 years old, otherwise your physique will be wasted.] Shen Yuan eyes twitched as he asked, "What the hell do you mean? Do you think I can''t control myself?" [The host hasn''t yet seen the horror of this physique, but you should be able to pass it easily.] Shen Yuan decided to ignore the system for now as he whispered, " My aunts will really make my love miserable with their irresistible figures, and I still have that quest toplete." He decided to sit down and meditate to sort out his thoughts while waiting for all three of them to wake up. Chapter 15: Waking up his Family After sitting on the grass for a few minutes, Shen Yuan asked the system, "Anyways System, how did my mom and aunts be unconscious? They were fine before I underwent my awakening ritual." [Host''s mother and aunts became unconscious due to the pressure released by the Qi Vortex and when it expanded to infi-] Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, "Why did you stop?" [Host doesn''t need to know the further details for now. The host should focus on his cultivation.] Shen Yuan was getting used to the system, so he didn''t make a fuss this time and just waited patiently for his mother and aunts to wake up while wondering where he wanted to go from here on his journey. ¡­ Shen Yuxin''s eyes stirred as she slowly woke up. She blinked her eyes a few times in confusion, trying to make sense of how she got unconscious. Just then she abruptly sat straight as she thought of what happened to Yuan''s awakening ritual. "Yuan''er!" Her voice filled with worry as she began to turn her head to look at where he was sitting but Shen Yuan replied faster as he spoke softly. "I''m here Mother," he closed in on her and grasped her hands, reassuring her with gentle words as he continued, "Are you alright? What happened with you?" Shen Yuxin rxed when she heard Shen Yuan''s voice as she slowly took her time to process what happened to her and how she fell unconscious. Though she didn''t have much time to process as she replied to Shen Yuan''s question, "I''m fine now, Yuan''er, just a bit dizzy. What happened with your awakening ritual? Were you sessful?" She was a bit anxious in the end as she remembered the ridiculouslyrge Qi Vortex, wondering if it affected her son''s awakening ritual. Shen Yuan took a moment to decide whether to tell her about the system or not, as he replied, "Everything went well, Mom; I awakened a physique as well and sessfully broke through to the Body Forging Realm." In the end, he decided not to think about whether to tell her about the system or not for now. He will think about thister, for now, he thought to go back and have a long chat about the various realms of cultivation with his mother. He got excited again just thinking about the new things he would learn after bing a cultivator. Shen Yuxin noticed the excitement in Shen Yuan''s eyes as she smiled softly and asked, "Why are you so excited all of a sudden? Are you excited now that you realise you have finally be a cultivator?" Shen Yuan got a bit embarrassed that his mother saw through him as he coughed and tried to change the subject, "Cough, I will check up on Aunt Huo and Aunt Bing to see whether they have woken up or not." He hurriedly left his mother''s side, afraid of getting further embarrassed; Shen Yuxin giggled slightly, looking at her son''s appearance. She stood up to go after her son who was nearby checking up on Huo Rong and Bing Rong. Shen Yuan was poking Huo Rong''s cheeks as he spoke, "Aunt Huo wake up now, you have been sleeping for so long." Huo Rong muttered while unconscious, "Umm Yuan''er lemme sleep for a bit more." Shen Yuan thought for a second about how to wake her up; just then, he got the perfect idea as he got near her ear and spoke softly, "Aunt Huo, wake up fast, or Mom will be angry." Huo Rong Hurriedly woke up and spoke, "Ahaha, I was already awake; I was just lying down for a bit." As she awkwardly turned her head, she saw Shen Yuan looking at her mischievously; then she remembered where she was as she pulled Shen Yuan into her embrace, hugging him tightly while saying, "You are really making fun of your poor aunt? You nearly scared me to death. What happened with your awakening ritual?" Shen Yuan was too busy feeling her soft skin and supple boobs over his body to answer her, but when he heard his mothering close he woke up from his daydream and spoke, "Let''s talk about thatter and wake up Aunt Bing as well." Huo Rong nodded in understanding and released Shen Yuan, who felt like he had lost something when he left her embrace but soon got over it as he walked towards Bing Rong. But before he could say anything, she slowly sat up with confusion in her eyes. As she tried to remember what happened to her and how she was lying down here. Then she saw Shen Yuan on her side as she smiled sweetly towards him and spoke softly, "Thank you for making me lie down in afortable position Yuan''er. But what happened to us? Why was I passed out here?" But before Shen Yuan could reply, Shen Yuxin came to them and spoke lightly, "That''s enough chit-chat for now. Let''s leave the Mystique Realm first and let Shen Yuan take some rest; after all, he should have a lot of questions now that he is a cultivator." Both Huo Rong and Bing Rong nodded their heads rapidly as if a chicken pecking at grains. Shen Yuan also nodded his head in agreement as they all began to leave, but then Shen Yuxin noticed something abnormal; Shen Yuan was walking normally in this Mystique realm in which even a higher-level cultivator would find it hard to move as freely. The only reason Shen Yuan was able to walk before his awakening ritual was due to Shen Yuxin covering his body with her qi. She attributed this to his strange awakening, due to which even someone at her cultivation level was left unconscious. She took Shen Yuan''s hand, to which he turned his head and looked at her in confusion, but Shen Yuxin just smiled softly and began walking towards the exit of the Mystique Realm, which led to her mansion in the Eastern Deste Region. Chapter 16: Old World Shen Yuan and his family returned to the manor as Shen Yuxin thought they all needed some time to process what happened in the Mystique Realm and that Shen Yuan needed to rest now. Back at the manor, Shen Yuan couldn''t help but feel excited mixed with some curiosity about his strength now. His mother, Shen Yuxin, was still holding his hand as she led him to her room. "Yuan''er, you should rest now," Shen Yuxin said gently, patting his head as she helped him lie down on the bed. Shen Yuan nodded as he was indeed tired from all the things that happened today. He looked towards Shen Yuxin and said in a cute voice befitting his age, "All right, Mom, but can you stay with me until I fall asleep?" Shen Yuan still wanted his mother to apany him as he was all alone while awakening. ¡­ The system spoke in Shen Yuan''s Sea of Consciousness where Yuan won''t be able to hear it, [From the looks of Shen Yuan''s behavior, his emotions were also reset together with his rebirth, that''s why sometimes he acts mature, and sometimes he acts childish. He would need to reach the same age as his previous life to adjust his emotions or he will have to experience something extreme.] The system went silent after speaking to itself as it thought of something, its voice now sounding intrigued, [Haha it would truly be interesting to see how he willplete the quest.] The system began nning for new quests for its entertainment as well as for Shen Yuan''s growth for its own reasons. ¡­ Shen Yuan fell asleep in his mother''s embrace, peacefully lying down on the soft bed as if sleeping on fleeting clouds. Shen Yuxin smiled sweetly seeing her son''s sleeping expressions filled with contentment. She kissed his forehead and went to sleep as well. ¡­ As the morning sun rose from the east, Shen Yuan''s eyes stirred slightly as he opened them. The first thing he saw was Shen Yuxin''s massive jugs close to his face, their fragrance tingling his nose. He looked up to see that she was sleeping peacefully; he decided to rest for a while more since it would be a busy day ahead of him. After all, he went through his awakening ritual yesterday, even though he was a bittepared to his peers since he had to nourish his body due to theplications at his birth. Most of his peers would have already started refining their bodies and traversing through the realm of Body Forging at this time. Normally, most cultivators take around 7-8 years for Body Forging Realm since, due to their young age, they can''t go through intensive training. Even the geniuses take at least 5 Years with various treasures of heaven and earth toplete Body Forging and make the best vessel they can to amodate Qi. Shen Yuan was wondering how he would cultivate and how much time he would be able to finish forging his Body. ''I will ask Mom about it after breakfast. Hmm, I also want to know about the realms beyond Body Forging as well. Hey system! Tell me about the Realms beyond Body Forging Realm.'' The system''s voice sounded in his mind. [Host needs to find that out himself.] ''Wtf, you can read my mind system??'' Shen Yuan''s eyes widened slightly as he thought of it, but then he calmed down as he remembered that most systems were capable of that in his past life. But the system replied at this time, [I can read the Host''s mind as long as the host wills it; if the host doesn''t want me to read his mind, then I won''t be able to read it.] Shen Yuan''s eyes shined with an understanding light as he nodded thoughtfully as he said, "How rare to find a system with a conscience; you know how to keep others'' privacy. Good good." Shen Yuan was in a happy mood to know that the system wouldn''t be able to hear his thoughts; as for the possibility that the system was lying? Shen Yuan didn''t bother thinking too much about that because the system wouldn''t gain anything from it. Even if it could read his mind Shen Yuan can''t do anything against it. But then Shen Yuan got curious about something as he asked, "Hey system, it seems like you know about my past life, how do you know that if you haven''t read my mind?" Shen Yuan was really curious about this as he didn''t know how the system was able to tell that this was his second life. To which the system replied in the same robotic tone, [The system used its power to see through infinite timelines and deduced the host''s previous life with the faint traces of the system found on you in other ces then the system copied that timeline and reversed it to see the host''s past life.] Shen Yuan''s heart skipped a beat as he heard that the system found his traces in another ce. He Hurriedly asked the system, nearly screaming in his mind, ''System! Where did you find my traces?? Can I go there to see my family from my previous life??'' But the system replied in its same robotic tone mercilessly, [Host is too weak the think about going anywhere outside this World, Host should focus on cultiavtio-] Shen Yuan''s voice sounded this time, but the tone was so cold that it would send chills in the back of anyone who heard them, ''System, I''m asking onest time, where did you find my traces and how can I return there?'' Chapter 17: Shen Yuans Past A strange essence was leaking in Shen Yuan''s Sea of Consciousness, nearly manifesting in the Bloodline Avatar that was here previously, but before the avatar could be fully formed, the system replied as if afraid that something unfavorable would happen. But its tone of voice was still robotic and uncaring as if nothing was happening in Shen Yuan''s Sea of Consciousness just now, [Host need not worry for his family from his past life for now, they are still alive and living in your old world, Host can''t reach that ce as it is outside your current world in another ne altogether, host needs to reach the apex level of this world first before host can think about searching for his family again.] Shen Yuan calmed down as well and the avatar of his bloodline also vanished from his sea of consciousness as he listened to the system exnation, his expression still hard as he considered his current situation, but he thought about something as he asked, ''What about the time difference between this world and my old world?'' [Host''s previous world is in a special condition, merging with another world so the time dtion fluctuates anywhere from 2 times slower to 10 times slower or more, so 1 year in your previous world can be 2 years or 10 years in your current world, or it might even be higher depending on your previous world''s situation.] Shen Yuan took a moment to contemte what the system said, he understood that he had plenty of time to go back to his old world, and he visibly heaved a sigh of relief as he got the confirmation of his mother''s and sister''s safety, but due to his sudden sigh of relief Shen Yuxin also woke up. Shen Yuxin''s eyes fluttered open as she looked below to see Shen Yuan lying down with closed eyes in her embrace; she smiled sweetly as she saw that he was already awake but didn''t make noise so she could sleep peacefully. She hugged him tightly as she spoke with a gentle tone, "Have you woken up Yuan''er?" Yuan pulled back his face from her bosom as he smiled and replied in a happy tone, "Good morning, Mom. I woke up a while ago" Shen Yuxin patted his head affectionately and asked, "You seem to be lost in thought, do you have some problem with something?" Shen Yuan considered for a moment and made up his mind to talk about his past life with his mother, he didn''t want to deceive her any longer. "Mom, there is something I want to tell you." Shen Yuan began, his voice was steady with a hint of nervousness in it. He was worrying what Shen Yuxin would think of him, would she think that he deceived her for so long? Shen Yuxin got serious as she heard the gravity of her son''s voice, she gently patted his head and asked, "What is it Yuan''er? Just tell your mom, you can tell me anything you want." She then fell silent, waiting for her son to muster up the courage to tell her whatever he would say. Shen Yuan took a deep breath while considering what to say before he started talking, "I am a reincarnated being. Before I was born in this world, I was living in a world called Earth, I was an ordinary mortal, there was no such thing as Qi or cultivators in my previous world. I only have my mother and sister as my family, ¡­ He continued to talk about his past life with Shen Yuxin, who was listening attentively without interrupting him. He talked about his childhood, his hardships, and even the anime and novels that he used to watch and read. As he reached the final moments of hisst life when he died mysteriously Shen Yuxin hugged him closer. Shen Yuan took a shaky breath, the emotions of his past life still present even with the passage of time, "After I left from my work I died mysteriously, I don''t even know how I died back then. Then the next thing I saw was you holding me as a baby." Shen Yuan got silent as he spoke up to this point, waiting for his mom to digest what he said till now, Shen Yuxin gently stroked his hair, she still had that soft smile as she spoke gently, "I had my suspicions that you were a reincarnated person after all, no normal child is as smart and sensible as you." "Even in this Deste Continent, there are many legends of reincarnated cultivators so you don''t have to worry about how I would treat you, and even in yourst life when you were only 20 years old, you are still a child to me." Shen Yuan visibly rxed as he heard Shen Yuxin''s words. He smiled lightly as he hugged Shen Yuxin tightly, Shen Yuxin smiled gently as she patted his head. They stayed like that for a few more minutes as Shen Yuxin said, "Let''s go eat breakfast or else both of your aunts would make fun of you for sleeping till sote." Shen Yuanughed lightly as he felt normal again after all that long talk at the mention of his aunts, "Alright, let''s go eat breakfast now before they start teasing me." They got up and made their way toward the dining hall, where both Huo Rong and Bing Rong were waiting for them while readying the food, setting up the table, etc. "Good Morning Yuan''er," Bing Rong greeted Shen Yuan as he walked into the dining hall, she continued with a slightly cheerful tone, "You finally decided to join us." Huo Rong also joined in the fun as she spoke, "We were starting to wonder if you were nning to sleep all day today." Shen Yuan scratched the back of his head at their teasing as he just went to sit on his chair while ignoring their teasing words, he continued, "Good morning, Aunt Huo, Aunt Bing. I had a long discussion about myself with my Mom, that''s why I waste. Now let''s start eating before the food goes cold." Chapter 18: Training Begins They all sat down to enjoy the warm breakfast, the atmosphere was filled withughter and light-hearted conversation without mentioning what happened yesterday. Shen Yuan felt a little ufortable when he thought that he hadn''t yet shared his past with his aunts. He decided to talk with themter about it, for now, he focused on eating food with his family. After breakfast, Shen Yuan decided it was time to start training, he stood up from the dining table and looked at his mother and aunts with determination, "Mom, Aunt Huo, Aunt Bing, I want to learn more about cultivation and start my training from today, as you have said after I finish my awakening ritual you will tell me more about it as well teach me about it." Shen Yuxin also got serious as she heard Shen Yuan''s words as she spoke, "It is time for me to tell you why I didn''t speak about all this stuff before and didn''t let you acquire the knowledge of the cultivation world." Shen Yuxin also slowly stood up as she walked ahead and spoke, "Yuan''er, follow me to the training room and both of you as well." She also called Huo Rong and Bing Rong to go to the training room with her. Shen Yuan, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong followed after Shen Yuxin. Shen Yuan was lost in his thoughts about the future as all of them reached the training room, Shen Yuxin pushed open the doors of the training room as all of them entered it. Inside was a vast field with an even ground, the ground stretching for as far as the eyes could see. Shen Yuan''s eyes widened in amazement as he took in the sight of the training room. It was almost like the same ce as where he went through his Awakening ritual. The room seemed to stretch infinitely, with the ground perfectly even with small green grass growing everywhere. There were wooden weapons of all types lying around for his training as well as a lot of other stuff, It was the perfect environment for his Body Forging Cultivation. Shen Yuxin turned to face him after entering the training room or rather a training dimension, her expression serious yet gentle, "Yuan''er," she began, "the reason I didn''t tell you about the cultivation world and the realms of cultivation was due to my fear." She paused after speaking for a bit. Shen Yuan got confused, thinking about what her mother was fearing, but soon Shen Yuxin continued, "I feared what will happen if you couldn''t activate your talent during the awakening ritual or if you were crippled since birth if you couldn''t cultivate then I wanted for you to at least have a normal life without the influence of cultivators. That''s why I didn''t let you study about the cultivation world, realms, and other details." Shen Yuxin finished her sentence in one breath and looked at Shen Yuan to see his reaction but Shen Yuan didn''t react much as if he expected this much, Shen Yuxin heaved a sigh of relief as she continued, "Cultivation is not just about gaining power through cultivation, it forges your will to be unbeatable since the higher you reach the more challenges you will face in the future. But since you have so much talent and you yourself want to begin your cultivation then we will start from today. Shen Yuan nodded his small head in all seriousness, his eyes shining with faint excitement about gaining immeasurable powers, Huo Rong and Bing Rong giggled softly after seeing his expression, Shen Yuan spoke to his mother, "Yes, Mom. I am ready for my Body Forging training and to start walking on my path of cultivation." Shen Yuxin smiled proudly after hearing his reply, "Very well, Let us begin your training." She motioned for him to step forward, "The first level of the body forging realm is Strength Awakening is divided into two parts, the first part is when you go through the awakening ritual and step into this realm and the second is when after entering this realm you search inside your body and find the hidden potential in your body, Unlocking yourtent strength." Shen Yuan listened closely, afraid of missing a single detail. Shen Yuxin continued, "This step is very easy and most cultivators are able to do it in a week to a month, after you have sessfully awakened your hidden strength, we will move on to Flesh Training." "In this realm we will focus on enhancing your muscles and flesh, making them more resilient and powerful. You will undergo intense training and learn a breathing exercise to go along with your training so it can maximize the benefits of various treasures and your training." At that moment Huo Rong stepped forward, holding a small vial containing a strange shimmering red liquid, "This is the Body Refinement Elixer," she exined. "It will help in building a strong foundation for your future path, it will restore your stamina and heal your wounds during your intense training." Shen Yuan''s eyes shed as he looked at the Body Refinement Elixer as he already got it from the system, but to not arouse suspicion, he took it and thanked Huo Rong, "Thanks, Aunt Huo." Bing Rong also approached at this moment, holding a scripture, "This is the Vital Essence Body Refinement scripture, this is one of the best foundational body refinement techniques in all of Deste Continent, this is what Big Sis Yuxin told us before." Shen Yuan''s eyes revealed his surprise as he took the scripture and thanked Bing Rong, "Thanks, Aunt Bing Rong." He hurriedly opened the scripture and started reading it, Huo Rong and Bing Rong smiled after seeing how excited and hasty he was, Shen Yuxin also smiled softly seeing how excited her son was towards cultivation. Little did they know, Shen Yuan was actuallyparing the breathing exercises of Vital Essence Body Refinement and Chaos Body Refinement techniques, what he found out astonished him so much that he spoke to THE system, "Hey system, why is there such a huge gap between theplexity of both techniques? The one given to me by Aunt Bing Rong is so simplepared to what I got from you.'' Chapter 19: Breakthrough The system replied, [Of course, the Chaos Body Refinement technique is better, it is the best foundational technique in existence after all, how can the shitty techniques of this Deste Continent even bepared with it.] At the end of its word, the system held a hint of contempt in its voice when it addressed the foundation building technique of the Deste Continent. Shen Yuan ignored the contemptuous voice of the system and focused on trying to learn the Chaos Body Forging technique, before this he didn''t have time to learn it, but when he looked at the content of the technique in his mind, he was able to understand everything at first nce, as if he has learned it before. This confused him greatly as he consulted with the system, ''Hey system, why do I feel that I have learned this technique before?'' The system replied in the same tone, [When the host gets a technique from the system he automatically understands the whole technique, and only practicing it remains.] Shen Yuan was relieved to hear that as he thought, ''Good with this whatever technique I get from the system, I only need to practice it instead ofprehending the entirety of the technique like others. I can start the breathing exercise even at this moment, alright let''s do it since there are only mom and aunts here then I don''t need to keep some things secret with them.'' Shen Yuan breathed deeply as he began his training, he sat down crossed-legged to practice the breathing form a bit before he truly began his training. These foundational techniques did not focus on gathering qi but instead, they try to maximize the potential of the human body. So the Chaos Body Forging Technique was going to basically keep Shen Yuan at maximum potential the whole time he trained. As he got the hang of the breathing technique, he stood up and began his training, he did all the various poses inscribed in the technique. Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong noticed that what he was training with was not the technique that Bing Rong gave to him seeing this, Bing Rong was about to move forward to instruct him but Shen Yuxin stopped her and sent her and Huo Rong a voice transmission, ''Don''t interfere in his training, the technique might be different than the one we gave him but it is only better than it and not worse. So let him cultivate at will.'' Huo Rong and Bing Rong got confused wondering where he got such a technique from that it was even better than one of the best techniques in all of Deste Continent, but they were smart enough not to ask about it and just kept looking at him with pride. After all, they were the ones who watched him grow up and now he was even learning a foundational technique that was stated to be even better than the top technique known to Deste Continent. Time continued to pass as Shen Yuan was cultivating for nearly one hour non-stop, most normal cultivators couldn''t continue their training for 3 minutes on their first try, but from the looks of it, Shen Yuan didn''t have any problem continuing even further. Shen Yuxin and the others were both worried and proud of him, and just as Shen Yuxin was about to interrupt his training due to it being so long, they heard a low hum as Shen Yuan broke through his cultivation reaching the second level, Flesh Training. Shen Yuan took a deep breath as he stopped his training and stood straight, looking at his mother with happiness as he went near her and said excitedly as if asking for praise, "Mom, I reached the second level of Body Forging Realm!!" Shen Yuxin gently patted his head as she saw how excited he was, but she wrinkled her nose slightly due to the bad smell as she said, "Alright, go take a bath. Since you broke through the body refinement stage your body discharged waste from it." Shen Yuan got embarrassed after looking at his mother and aunts evading him as he hurriedly ran towards the bathroom. Shen Yuxin shook his head as sheughed lightly. Huo Rong and Bing Rong were alsoughing softly looking at the awkward expression of Shen Yuan. But Huo Rong then spoke, "Yuan''er reached the second level in 1 hour, directly skipping the step of awakening his hidden strength." Her voice was filled with amazement as she mentioned it. Bing Rong also nodded her head in agreement as she continued where her sister left off, "Indeed, most people took nearly a month to three months to achieve what the young master has achieved in an hour. It really makes one speechless after looking at it." Shen Yuxin smiled proudly hearing both of them praising her son, but she looked at them sternly as she warned them, "What happened yesterday and today, don''t let another soul know about it. We can''t risk exposing Yuan''er to all the forces of Central Deste so soon. He still needs time to grow up and stand on his own against the Supreme geniuses of this world." Huo Rong and Bing Rong nodded their heads as if chickens pecking on rice. After All, they were not stupid enough to expose their dear nephew to the outside world like this. Shen Yuxin also heaved a sigh as she thought of the future, but more than that she was worried about how Shen Yuan would face the unparalleled geniuses on his way to the top. As Shen Yuxin was busy in her thoughts Huo Rong spoke up as she had a mischievous smile on her face, "Big Sis, I will go and wash up Shen Yuan." Before Shen Yuxin could say anything she already run away from there, Bing Rong felt her eye twitch as she just sighed and didn''t say anything. After all, she knew how her sister behaved so it was impossible to stop her antics, she just sighed and also left to do her work. Shen Yuxin also didn''t say anything as she knew Shen Yuan can take care of himself and he was not a mere child. She smiled slightly as she thought, ''Oh Huo Rong, don''t burn yourself in the me that you are setting aze.'' Chapter 20: Bathing [R18] Shen Yuan stood in the bathroom, scrubbing off the sweat and impurities that were expelled from his body. He was still thinking about his rapid progress as he was able to step into the Flesh Training realm so soon. His body was filled with energy due to his recent breakthrough, he smiled slightly feeling the overwhelming power flowing through his body. Meanwhile, Huo Rong approached the bathroom with a sly smile, she reached the bathroom door and knocked on it, she said with a yful tone, "Yuan''er do you need help washing up? After all, it is your first time cultivating and expelling waste from your body." Shen Yuan''s eyes widened in surprise as he hurriedly shouted, "Aunt Huo, I''m fine on my own, no need to trouble you over this." His face was beet red as he was embarrassed that she was right outside the door, Huo Rong wasn''t convinced as she said again, "Are you really sure you don''t want your dear aunt to help you out?" Shen Yuan was about to refuse, but then he remembered the system quest, he had to get a kiss from her, and it would be the best time to get it since no one was with them, Shen Yuan''s mind spun as he replied in a reluctant tone his tone barely above a whisper, "Aunt Huo, I-I think I can use a little help here." Outside the door, Huo Rong heard his reply and her smile widened as she was able to hear the reluctance in his voice. She knew it would be fun to tease him next as she got undressed outside and entered the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around her. As soon as she entered the bathroom, Shen Yuan''s eyes widened in shock looking at her figure, his face turning even redder than before. She was only wearing a towel, and her base skin was tantalizing to see. His face burned in embarrassment and a little bit of desire. Huo Rong smiled slyly, her eyes sparkled in amusement as she saw how Shen Yuan was reacting, "Don''t be shy, Yuan''er," she said, her voice alluring to hear in such a situation, "I''m just here to help you out a bit." Shen Yuan nodded, trying topose himself. But his eyes keep darting towards Huo Rong''s body, her cleavage visible above the towel. The towel was barely covering her butt, and her well-toned legs were also a sight to see. But his brain rushed with thoughts on how he couldplete his quest, while Huo Rong came close to him and made him sit down, Shen Yuan also had a towel wrapped around his waist. Huo Rong began to wash him with water and soap, her hand roaming over all his body, starting from his shoulders to his back, slowly cleaning his body and sending shivers down Shen Yuan''s spine. She then continued by washing his chest. Shen Yuan felt his heart racing, after all, he was not a child, and such a hot woman was washing him off. As she moved down to his body, her hands brushed over his abs, her fingers tracing lines over his muscles. All the while she had a slight teasing smile as she was enjoying seeing Shen Yuan''s embarrassed expression which she found cute. Huo Rong''s hands were like silk, smooth and gentle. But those hands were making Shen Yuan hot. Shen Yuan felt his desire growing with each touch, but he controlled himself with his will as he still had a quest toplete. As she washed his arms, her hands slid up and down his biceps. He couldn''t help imagining what it would feel like to have her hands on his lower region, to feel her touch on his most sensitive part. She continued to wash his legs, her hands sliding up his thighs making blood rush to his head as his face flushed red, but Huo Rong knew exactly what she was doing and she didn''t take it any further. She was, after all, teasing him with each touch, looking forward to his embarrassed expression, her smile widened as she saw what she was looking for. And then she leaned closer to her ear, nearly brushing her lips against his ear as released a hot breath and spoke, "How do you feel now, Yuan''er ~, are you cleaned up now?" Her voice still had a hint of teasing as Shen Yuan nodded his head, "Yes, can you rinse me with water now?" Huo Rong smiled slightly as she stood up and went behind his back, Shen Yuan sighed as he felt that it was ended but she hugged him from behind, her boobs pressing against his back, he could clearly feel their outline as his face flushed red he hurriedly asked, "Wh-What are you doing Aunt Huo??" Huo Rong replied with a slight smile, "Nothing, I''m just cleaning your back as well, after all, we can''t leave any ce dirty." Shen Yuan could only endure her teasing as she continued cleaning him from back to front again. After what felt like an eternity, Huo Rong finally rinsed him with water. She also hurriedly washed herself, meanwhile, Shen Yuan was sitting on the side trying to calm himself down. After some time she finished bathing and Shen Yuan also stood up to leave, but before they left Shen Yuan called for Huo Rong, "Aunt Huo,e closer I need to tell you something." Huo Rong got curious as she was still in her bath towel, she put a hand on her chest and leaned towards Shen Yuan, wondering what he was going to tell her. Shen Yuan''s eyes shed with a knowing light as he moved towards her ear, but before she could react he gave a peck on her cheeks and ran away while shouting andughing, "This was to thank you for taking such ''good'' care of me" Huo Rong stood in the bathroom with an astonished look in her eyes, her eyes curved as she smiled lightly and whispered, "Hehe, you think I won''t take revenge?" But she only said this to herself, afraid that he would hear her. Chapter 21: Quest As he was back in his room, he put on his clothes and pondered as he said out loud with a slight smile on his face, "Hmm, with this, the mission is almostplete." But the system interrupted him as it said, "The quest was to receive a kiss from Huo Rong or Bing Rong, not to kiss one of them; the quest is not even close topleting." Shen Yuan revealed a meaningful smile as he asked, "Show me the quest details." [Ding!] [Quest: A Kiss from Huo Rong or Bing Rong] Objective: Receive a kiss from either Huo Rong or Bing Rong. Details: - Quest Description: The system has detected a strong emotional bond between you and both of your aunts Huo Rong and Bing Rong. To deepen this connection and test your charm, the system has issued a quest for you to receive a kiss from one of them. -Reward: 50 Chaos Coins -Bonus Reward: An additional 200 Chaos Coins if the kiss is on the lips. - Time Limit: 7 Days Shen Yuan looked at the quest as it said, "Oh, I didn''t notice the bonus reward for this quest, looks like it will be a bit interesting." The system spoke again, [Host is not close to fini-] Before the system could finish its sentence Shen Yuan replied with a slight smile, "I know what the quest was and I have read the details, it''s just you failed to consider the personality of Aunt Huo, she will take it as her loss if she didn''t take revenge on me, so most likely either today or tomorrow she will kiss me back." "Now it is worth looking forward to seeing if she will kiss me on the cheek or lips. Hmm, I''m looking forward to it already." The system got silent as it indeed failed to consider the character of Huo Rong, but it thought of something and replied in a disdainful voice, [I wonder who was all flustered and embarrassed in the bathroom, Host.] Shen Yuan''s smile froze on his face as he didn''t expect that the usual emotionless system would target him today; he replied with a doubtful tone, "Hey system, is it just me, or are you showing more and more emotions as time passes?" [I don''t know what the host is talking about; it''s only been a day since I found the host.] Shen Yuan nodded his head thoughtfully as he agreed and just thought that he was overthinking things. He continued, "Don''t sweat the small details. I, of course, would be embarrassed since Aunt Huo is such a beautiful woman and I died a virgin in my previous life." The system got silent at his reply. Shen Yuan also began to think about his next step, since even if hepleted the system quest, he couldn''t do much with that reward. "Hmm, I should go and meet up with Mother; after all, I ran away to take a bath after my training; would she ask about my breathing exercise? Hey, system, what do you think? Should I tell her about you?" The system replied in azy tone, [Whatever you wish, it doesn''t affect the system if the host wants to disclose the information, the system is invincible after all.] Shen Yuan''s eyes twitched slightly at the arrogant words of the system, but he put the decision of telling his mother about the system on hold, deciding that he would think about itter. He left his room, cleanly dressed in a martial artist''s robes for training, he went through the corridor, walking towards the training room. As he reached the training room, he looked inside to see that Shen Yuxin was sitting on a chair waiting for him; when she sensed his presence, she looked towards him and smiled sweetly. She motioned with her hand for Shen Yuan toe closer, to which he obliged and came towards her in a happy mood. Shen Yuxin perceived his happy mood and asked with the same gentle smile while making a chair out of wood for him to sit down, "What made you so happy Yuan''er?" Shen Yuan flinched as he got embarrassed when he thought about what he was getting all happy about; of course, it was nothing else than his little scene in the bathroom with Huo Rong; he replied rather weakly, "It''s nothing, Mom. I was just thinking about my cultivation." Shen Yuxin smiled knowingly but didn''t expose him, she changed the topic as she asked, "So how are you feeling after the breakthrough to Flesh Training Realm?" Shen Yuan opened and closed his palm as he replied rather energetically, "I''m feeling full of energy with this breakthrough, it''s like power is overflowing inside me." His voice filled with excitement as he shared his newfound power. Shen Yuxin''s smile widened seeing his excited expression, but she got serious as she asked, "Now what you need to do is consolidate your cultivation by training with a puppet of simr cultivation level since you also need experience as a good fighter otherwise you would be a flower cultivated in a greenhouse." Shen Yuan nodded his head as he understood fully that without good fighting experience, he would only be an empty shell of his cultivation level from all the novels he read; he nodded his head as he replied, "All right, Mom, I will listen to your arrangement." Shen Yuxin nodded her head as she thought for a second and took out a training puppet; it looked like a wooden man; Shen Yuan looked towards Shen Yuxin for an exnation about what this was, "Mom, what is this wooden figure? Is it like a puppet?" Shen Yuxin smiled and replied, "This is a low-level training puppet. It can withstand up to 10 tons of force since most cultivators at Strength Awakening only have about 5 tons of strength, and after reaching Flesh Training, it is increased to 10 tons. So punch with all your might and see if you can damage it." Chapter 22: Training Shen Yuan nodded his head and moved towards the puppet with caution, Shen Yuxin nodded her head with approval as she said, "You don''t have to worry Yuan''er, the puppet won''t attack you until Imand it to you, so you can punch it with your full strength to see how strong your current strength." Shen Yuan finally heaved a sigh as he released all his tension and went forward, standing right in front of the wooden puppet. He nted his feet firmly on the ground, bending slightly to build up power in his legs. His eyes sharpened as he looked at the wooden puppet. Shen Yuan took a deep breath, channeling all his strength; he swung his fist forward in a powerful punch, aiming directly at the center of the puppet''s chest. As his fist connected with the wooden puppet there was a sound. BOOM! The whole wooden puppet was obliterated by his punch; not even pieces were left of it, and this spoke volumes of Shen Yuan''s strength. Shen Yuxin''s eyes sparkled as she had expected this result. After all,he has a high-tier physique and possibly a bloodline as well. She Walked towards the astonished Shen Yuan who was looking at his hands as if what he did was straight out of some fantasy book. Reality finally started sinking in that he was a cultivator and he will have superpowers in the future. He was still standing there with the same pose after punching the wooden puppet; before Shen Yuxin could reach him, Huo Rong and Bing Rong entered the training room and saw the condition of the wooden puppet. Both of them were slightly surprised as they knew that the wooden puppet could easily withstand the attack of an average Flesh Training cultivator, but then they remembered that Shen Yuan wasn''t any average cultivator. Before Bing Rong could say anything to him Huo Rong jumped a little forward and said to Shen Yuan, "Woah, our little Yuan''er is so strong, you have to protect us in the future when you join our sect." Shen Yuan got a little embarrassed as he saw Huo Rong but quicklyposed himself and spoke with pride," Don''t worry, Aunt Huo, I will protect both of you in the future!" Huo Rong and Bing Rong smiled sweetly when they heard it, but Shen Yuxin interrupted in the middle of it in a yful voice, "Oh My, Who will protect this poordy? Her own son will only protect his aunts, but not his own dear mother." Shen Yuan sweated a bit as he hurriedly said to his mother, "Of course, I will protect my Mom as well; I won''t let anyone bully her." Shen Yuxin smiled sweetly as she patted his head and said, "Let''s continue testing your strength; I knew that the wooden puppet wouldn''t be able to handle your strength. That''s why I already got a few more high-level ones for you to practice with." Huo Rong and Bing Rong nodded to each other and went a bit further away to not disturb Shen Yuan, Shen Yuxin nodded her head when she saw that both of them had moved further back. She brings out another puppet from her storage ring, this one still made of wood, but with a darker and denser color. Shen Yuxin exined, "This is a higher-level training puppet than the previous one, it can withstand up to a force of 60 tons. Let''s see how much strength you can exert on this puppet." Shen Yuan nodded as he took a deep breath, readying his stance as he approached the new training puppet, his muscles tensing as he was excited about testing his current limits. He firmly nted his feet on the ground, and bent his knees slightly, this time with more confidence than the nervousness of before. Shen Yuxin smiled slightly as she saw this change, this was what she was going for when she took out the low-level training puppet for Shen Yuan, to increase his confidence in himself. Shen Yuxin thought to herself, ''Shen Yuan is so talented but he is timid in this unknown world due to his past experience in his past life, if I want to fix it then he needs to have more confidence in himself. After training him for a few years here I will bring him to a local sect for further training.'' Shen Yuan didn''t even have any idea that his mother had nned out his future journey so he could transition his mindset more smoothly to his current world. Shen Yuan''s eyes locked on the puppet, and he took another deep breath, channeling all his strength once more against the puppet. With a burst of energy, Shen Yuanunched a punch towards the wooden training puppet, his punch traveling through incredible speed towards the chest of the puppet. The impact was immediate and explosive. BOOM!! The higher-level training puppet didn''t just crack or break as Shen Yuan had expected it to do, after all, it wasn''t the same as the previous low-level puppet, it was utterly annihted, showing that his strength far surpassed the 60 tons strength mark. Shen Yuxin''s eyes showed delight as she had expected this result, after all, she also had 60 tons of strength, but Shen Yuan quite easily surpassed that limit. Her record was the highest recorded in her n at that time. Even the n ancestors were amazed at her strength. But Shen Yuan surpassed her without even putting in much effort. Shen Yuxin''s lips curled into a proud smile as she teleported near Shen Yuan and hugged him while saying, "As expected of my son," she said to him, "Your strength truly surpasses the norm of the continent." Shen Yuan felt butterflies in his stomach as he got a bit embarrassed at his mother''s praise. Before he could say anything both Huo Rong and Bing Rong came forward. Their eyes filled with shock as their strength was nowhere close to Shen Yuan''s monstrous strength at merely the flesh training stage. Bing Rong spoke looking a bit speechless, "Yuan''er is truly one of a kind, I don''t think anyone in our sect had this level of strength at Flesh Training level. If Shen Yuan was in our sect then he would have set a new record." Huo Rong chimed in proudly, "He, after all, is our family, of course, he will be excellent." Bing Rong gave her a disdainful nce as she didn''t deem it worth her effort to break her smug face. Chapter 23: Training II Shen Yuan only got further embarrassed by all the praises from Huo Rong and Bing Rong. He coughed and left his mother''s embrace while saying, "Cough, I think I haven''t reached my limits yet," he looked at Shen Yuxin and continued, "Mom, do you have a higher tier puppet?" Shen Yuxin smiled and replied, "Of course, I have them; you don''t have to worry about it; I have puppets so strong that even Huo Rong and Bing Rong won''t be able topete with them." As Shen Yuxin teased the sisters, Huo Rong pouted at her while saying, "Big sis, you are just bullying us, the realm of those puppets is higher than us." Bing Rong nodded her head, agreeing with her sister, "Huo Rong is correct, big sis, those puppets are so much stronger than us." Shen Yuxinughed lightly at their response and said to Shen Yuan, "See Yuan''er? Mommy has many high-level puppets, so you don''t have to worry about a thing and test your strength to your heart''s content." Shen Yuan''s eyes glowed as he heard about his mother''s wealth; he nodded his head and asked, "Then let''s start right now, bring out a higher-tier puppet mom, I want to see what my limit of raw strength is today." Shen Yuxin agreed and took about another wooden puppet, Shen Yuan''s eyes got cloudy with a bit of confusion as he asked, "Mom, do you only have wooden puppets?" To which Shen Yuxin replied, "It''s not that I only have wooden puppets but these are the weakest puppets I have, perfect for your training. And this one can withstand up to 100 tons of force; this training puppet is already beyond what most Viscera Training stage cultivators can exert without any techniques or other means." Shen Yuan nodded his head in understanding as he walked towards that wooden puppet with a darkerplexion than the previous puppets, Standing in front of it, the puppet was the same height as him. Due to his young age, Shen Yuan won''t be able to reach the chest of a full-sized adult, which is why Shen Yuxin took out these specially made puppets. Shen Yuan got into his stance once again to hit the center of the puppet; he stretched his legs, and his muscles stretched like a bowstring. He utilized the strength of his full body to once again hit the center of the puppet. And the result was the same as before. BOOM!! The puppet got obliterated once again; even the puppet that can withstand 100 tons got demolished without any resistance. This time Shen Yuxin and both of the sister''s eyes widened in surprise, not expecting even this puppet to explode with Shen Yuan''s strength. Shen Yuxin spoke to herself, "Looks like Shen Yuan''s physique and bloodline are both of high tier, he can exert so much strength even at just the Flesh Training realm, I wonder how what type of physique he has, if it''s elemental physique then his qi will transform to that element when he breakthrough the body forging realm." Shen Yuxin was lost in her thoughts as Shen Yuan had a smug look on his face when he saw the destroyed puppet. He turned towards his mother to see her expression, and he got happier to see her surprised expression, as this meant he surpassed Shen Yuxin''s expectations. Shen Yuxin came out of her thoughts as she looked at Shen Yuan''s expectant face while thinking, ''Even with his past life''s memories, he still acts like a child, hehe, he just wants to get spoiled.'' She asked Shen Yuan after sorting her thoughts, "Do you want to rest now or continue testing your strength?" Shen Yuan replied energetically, "I''m still full of energy, Mom; let''s continue testing my strength. I can''t wait to figure out my current limits." Shen Yuxin smiled softly and took out another puppet, but after seeing yet another wooden puppet, Shen Yuan asked her with slight confusion in his voice, "Mom, what is the highest strength that your wooden puppet can withstand?" Shen Yuxin replied in a smug tone, "My best wooden puppet can withstand 50,000 tons of force." Shen Yuan''s eyes widened in astonishment as he heard the absurd value, he asked her, "Can someone even reach 10,000 tons of force in the Body Refinement stage?" Shen Yuxin nodded knowingly as she realized what her son was talking about; she began teaching him in a soft voice, "Yuan''er, you shouldn''t underestimate the geniuses of this world; some are born with multiple physiques or with divine strength; others increase their strength with the treasure of heaven and earth. So reaching 10,000 tons of force is easy in the Body Forging Realm." Shen Yuan nodded in understanding as he remembered that even in the cultivation novels of his past life there were always exceptions to the rules set by themon people, and he realized yet another new thing about the cultivation world, which further amazed him and increased his yearning to explore the unknown world. Huo Rong and Bing Rong smiled as they saw the interaction between Shen Yuxin and Shen Yuan, looking at their increasing bond, Huo Rong decided to join in on the fun, "That''s correct Yuan''er, the world is really vast, so when you grow up a bit more we will go around to travel it. We can show you the various wonderful ces of the Eastern Deste Region; even though we haven''t explored 1% of it, we are sure we can surprise you with what we have seen." Bing Rong chimed in, "Yeah, even back in our sect, there are lots of different ces where you can see the power of cultivators. Like the Elemental Tower, Qi Pool, Gravity Mountain, etc." Shen Yuan got more and more excited as he listened to the world described by Huo Rong and Bing Rong, he started fantasizing about going to explore the unknown world and seeing all the sights himself, but Shen Yuxin knocked him lightly on the head to take him out of his daydreaming. Chapter 24: Current Limit Shen Yuxin spoke to Shen Yuan after bringing him out of his daydreams, "All right, let''s continue testing your strength," she motioned to the wooden puppet that she had taken out before and continued, "This puppet can withstand 150 tons of force, but from the looks of it, your strength is clearly higher than only 150 tons. But, hehe, it''s always fun to destroy things, right?" At the end of her words, there was a slight mischievous tone mixed in her voice which sent a slight chill in Shen Yuan''s back. He rubbed his neck as he spoke with slight excitement; after all, which man didn''t like to destroy stuff? "Alright Mom, I''m ready now." He moved towards the puppet to stand in front of it, getting in his stance to punch. BOOM!! Once again, it exploded; even the puppet, which could withstand 150 tons of force, couldn''t withstand a single punch from Shen Yuan, but this time, there were bigger chunks of wood left. From the looks of it, Shen Yuan was reaching his limit as well. Shen Yuan took back his hand from the front with a satisfied grin on his face, but before he could catch his breath, he caught the sight of his smiling Mom who took out another puppet while saying, "This one can withstand up to 200 tons; you can do it, Yuan!" At the end of her words, she even cheered for Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan''s eyes twitched as he wondered if she was taking revenge for something, and what he didn''t know was that he was right, she saw what he did with Huo Rong in the bathroom. She was pissed that Huo Rong went ahead of herself and got Shen Yuan''s first kiss. But since she was such a good Mom, she couldn''t do anything straightforward to him, so this was her way of punishing him a little. Shen Yuan didn''t want to argue with his own mother, so he just went ahead and got ready to hit the puppet again while thinking, ''If the puppets keep getting a darkerplexion like this, then they will be ck soon enough.'' He nted his feet firmly on the ground, stretched his muscles, and took aim at the center of the puppet. He used his full body for this punch, as it connected with the chest of the puppet. BOOM!! Once again, the puppet got destroyed, but there were quite a fewrger chunks of it left; hands and feet were deformed but still in one piece. Shen Yuxin nodded her head as she went forward and said, "Looks like you are reaching your limits soon, you won''t be able to damage the next puppet from the looks of it. Let''s see how much strength you can exert at this moment." She took out another puppet from her storage ring, "This one can withstand 250 tons of force; use all your strength to hit it; I can tell how much strength you have from the impact of your attack." Shen Yuan nodded his head and went towards the puppet once again. He got in his stance, making sure to use his full strength, he took a deep breath and unleashed all his strength. Exerting himself to the maximum. Boom! There was a loud bang, but the puppet wasn''t destroyed or even sent flying; Shen Yuan looked at it with astonishment as he realized what his mother said was true. He looked towards his mother expectantly waiting to see how high his strength was, Shen Yuxin smiled slightly as she told him what he wanted to know the most right now, "It''s really impressive how much strength you have at your stage Yuan''er, you have around 210 tons of raw strength, it''s more than what normal Bone Forging Realm cultivators have." Shen Yuan nodded in understanding but decided to ask the system, ''System, show the status window.'' [Ding!] [Primordial Harem System] [Host: Shen Yuan] [Title: Genius ] [Cultivation Base: Flesh Training Realm] [Bloodline: ???] [Physique- Saint-Rank Primal Harmony Physique (Primordial Rank Sealed)] [Talents- ] [Techniques- Chaos Body Refinement Technique, Basic Qi Gathering Technique] [Chaos Coins-0] [System Shop] [Inventory] [Remark- Grow Up Fast!] Shen Yuan looked through the System interface, and the first thing he noticed was that his realm had changed; he nodded his head and looked further down, ''Hmm, I still don''t know the name of my bloodline or what power it has, hell I don''t even know it''s tier.'' He didn''t bother thinking about it more as he looked at his physique next, ''I still don''t know what my physique can do or how I can utilize it.'' Before he could think further the system interrupted his thoughts, [Host need not worry about his physique; Host should first increase his cultivation; the physique is useless in the Body Forging Realm except for giving a boost to the body.] Shen Yuan got curious as the system told him about boosts he asked, ''System, what kind of boosts do different tiers of physique give the physique owner?'' The system replied, [From the weakest to the strongest- Average: 5 tons Mortal: 10 tons Earthly: 15 tons Heavenly: 20 tons Supreme: 25 tons Saint: 30 tons These are the average raw strength that physiques give to their owners at the strength awakening stage. You awaken with 5 tons without any physique, and the value will be higher with each tier.] [The value gets doubled at the next stage Average: 10 tons Mortal: 20 tons Earthly: 30 tons Heavenly: 40 tons Supreme: 50 tons Saint: 60 tons] Shen Yuan looked through all the values and got confused as he asked, ''If these are the stats then why do I have 210 tons of raw strength?'' The system replied, [Did the host forget about bloodlines?] Shen Yuan replied angrily, ''Stop making fun of me and just answer it. [The bloodline also ys a factor in enhancing the cultivator''s body, even though the enhancement isn''t as major as a physique. Mortal: 10% Earthly: 25% Heavenly: 50% Supreme: 100% Saint: 250%] Chapter 25: Status Window Shen Yuan looked at all the values and asked the system, ''Is my bloodline at the Saint tier as well? Same as my physique?'' The system replied in the same robotic voice, [From the looks of it, Host''s bloodline changes its tier to match the tier of Host''s physique.] ''The fuck you mean from the looks of it? Are you not even sure about it?'' [Host shouldn''t look at the small details, anyways you should hurry up and go back to training.] ''Let me look through the rest of the stuff real quick.'' He looked at the rest of his stats, ''Oh, the technique option got upgraded, but why was the first technique I learned the Qi Gathering Technique when I don''t even have a single wisp of qi?'' [The technique was only for awakening, Host. It will be useful when you reach the peak of Body Forging and break through the next realm.] ''Hmm, all right,'' he looked at the next option and asked, ''Where is the Essence option? I remember it was Essence before now it''s Chaos Coins?'' [System is always upgrading and improving, Host, so there can be changes made to it. But the major update will be when the Host bes 18 years old.] Shen Yuan nodded his head at the first sentence of the system as it was a good thing for him but he raised an eyebrow as he heard itsst words, ''Why do you need to wait until I''m 18?'' [Read the system''s name host, Do you think there won''t be more stuff rted to that? The host is still small so the system didn''t show much to him.] Shen Yuan realized what it was talking about and also understood what it meant by the remark at the end. He asked the system after looking at all the stats, ''Make another option to measure my strength.'' [Alright, Host] [Ding!] [Option added- Battle Power] [Battle Power- 220 Tons/ Higher than normal Bone Forging Cultivators.(Temporary)] Shen Yuan nodded when the system added the Battle Power tab on his status screen, but he was confused when he saw the (Temporary) written at the end; just when he was about to ask the system about it, Shen Yuxin shook his hand. Shen Yuan came out of his thoughts after speaking with the system, only a few seconds had passed but Shen Yuxin caught his abnormality, but before she could ask about it, Shen Yuan spoke, "So, what should I do next Mom?" ''I will ask the system about itter.'' Shen Yuxin replied, "That''s enough for today; you have all the time in the world to cultivate, so don''t overdo yourself, take proper rest as well." Shen Yuan nodded his head as he also felt that there was no need to rush now or else he might end up injuring himself. He still needed to make a n, but for that, he needed more knowledge about cultivation and this world. After all, he still wanted to return to his old world to meet up with his mother and little sister. Huo Rong and Bing Rong also came towards him after he stopped his training, Huo Rong teased him, "Wow, our Shen Yuan is so strong when you reach my cultivation stage no one will be able to match your battle powers on the same stage, after all, if others can enhance their bodies with special treasure of heaven and earth then why can''t we give it to Shen Yuan." Toward the end of her words, she talked about his cultivation. Just as Bing Rong was about to chime in as well, Shen Yuxin stopped both of them and said, "All right, that''s enough talk about cultivation; we will continue this talk tomorrow. Huo''er, bring Shen Yuan to y somewhere." Shen Yuan spoke up at this time, his voice held a hint of determination as he looked at the beautiful and smiling faces of Huo Rong and Bing Rong, "Mom, I want to talk with Aunt Huo Rong and Aunt Bing Rong about what I told you before." Shen Yuxin took a moment to look at Shen Yuan and saw the determination in his eyes; she knew he had decided to reveal his past to both of them, but even then, she still asked, "Are you sure that you want to tell them about that Yuan?" Shen Yuan nodded his head heavily in agreement. Shen Yuxin nodded her head slightly and said, "All right, follow me to my room; you can talk there about this." Meanwhile, both Huo Rong and Bing Rong were standing there with confused expressions as they didn''t know what both mother and son were talking about. Shen Yuxin began walking out of the training room, Shen Yuan, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong began following her back to the room, while in the hallway, Huo Rong was walking on the right side of Shen Yuan, as she leaned towards Shen Yuan and asked, "What do you want to tell us Yuan''er?? You are making me so curious." Shen Yuan smiled slightly seeing her like this, and spoke while teasing her, "Hehe, you will have to wait to know about it." Huo Rong pouted her lips, "Hmph! Fine then, I will wait until you tell me about it." Bing Rong''s eyes were also filled with curiosity as she listened to the conversation between Shen Yuan and Huo Rong. Shen Yuxin was silent as if she was wondering about something, and while talking andughing they reached the door of Shen Yuxin''s room. Shen Yuxin pushed open the door. The room was elegantly furnished, with soft lighting and a warm atmosphere. There was a bed, a study table, some bookshelves, and some other misceneous things. Shen Yuan took a deep breath to prepare for the conversation that he was about to have. While taking a deep breath he inhaled the aroma of Shen Yuxin''s room, making himfortable. He felt his nerves settle as he entered the room and moved towards the chairs. Shen Yuxin followed him and sat on one of the chairs, patting the chair which was on her right side while saying, "Come sit here Yuan''er, and you both sit here as well." She motioned to both of the sisters to sit on the chairs, which were ced around a round table. Huo Rong and Bing Rong both nodded their heads obediently and sat at the chairs, looking curiously at Shen Yuan. Chapter 26: Past After sitting down, Shen Yuan turned to face Huo Rong and Bing Rong, who were both watching him with intense gazes, nearly making Shen Yuan nervous again, thinking about how they would react. He took another deep breath before beginning. "Aunt Huo, Aunt Bing," Shen Yuan started, feeling both nervous and expectant; with a steady voice, he continued, "There is something important that I want to share with the two of you; I already talked with Mom yesterday. I think it''s about time I share it with you as well; after all, I don''t want to keep you in the dark for too long." Huo Rong and Bing Rong both got serious as they listened to the seriousness of Shen Yuan''s voice, they shared a quick nce as Bing Rong leaned forward slightly and gave Shen Yuan a reassuring look to continue speaking. Shen Yuan continued, "The truth is, this is my second life, I''m not originally from this world, in my first life I was born on a different world than Deste Continent, it was called Earth, and there was no concept of cultivation or superpowers, everyone was a mortal living their life peacefully." "I had a family there, a mother and a younger sister. I don''t know how I died or if I died and reincarnated here, but when I woke up I was already in my mother''s embrace with all the memories of my past life intact." Huo Rong and Bing Rong''s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden revtion. Not expecting this to be the reason for Yuan''s strange behavior. Nheless, Shen Yuan continued, "In that world, I was just a powerless moral, struggling to survive and provide for my family," Shen Yuan continued with a hint of sadness in his eyes, "But even then, I loved my family dearly. After all, they were the only ones who were with me at my lowest. There were also a few rtives who helped us sometimes." "I don''t know how it happened or why I ended up in this world, but ever since my arrival, I have been given a second chance at life with all of you, and there is also a chance that I might be able to find my past rtives. After all, the mysteries of the cultivation world are infinite." The whole room fell into deep silence as soon as Shen Yuan finished speaking, Huo Rong and Bing Rong were deeply moved from looking at their expressions. They didn''t know that Shen Yuan had such a past. Shen Yuxin also looked at Shen Yuan with tender eyes, patting his head to calm his nerves. Huo Rong was the first one to speak; with a gentle voice, she began, "Yuan''er, I had no idea that you had such a past¡­ Thanks for sharing this with us and trusting us with your secret." Bing Rong nodded, totally agreeing with her sister as she also spoke to Shen Yuan with a warm tone, "We both may not know how it is to be from a different world, but if you need anything then we are here for you." Shen Yuan felt a warmth spread through his chest as he listened to their heartfelt words. He was grateful for getting such a good family even in his second life, "Thank you, Aunt Huo, Aunt Bing." He got up and went to hug both of them, Bing Rong and Huo Rong patted his back tofort him. Shen Yuxin, who was quietly observing it the whole time, finally said, "Yuan''er, we are your family now, so if you need anything, just ask any of us, and we will do our best to support you." The group all sat infortable silence before Huo Rong bombarded Shen Yuan with questions about his past life, what was his previous world like? What about his family? Etc. They continued chatting tillte at night when Huo Rong curiously asked, "Yuan''er, how old were you in yourst life?" Shen Yuan was intrigued after hearing her question and asked, "Why do you want to know about that?" Huo Rong smiled slyly and replied, "First, tell me your age, and then I will tell you." Shen Yuan gave up and answered her, "All right, I was 20 in myst life; now tell me why you wanted to ask that." Huo Rong''s eyes shed with a blinding light as she heard that; she looked at Bing Rong, who was also looking back at her; both smiled, and Huo Rong said, "Then, does that mean you are now 27 years old if webine your age?" Shen Yuan got confused with where they were swinging this conversation but he still replied, "If you look at this like that, then indeed I am now 27 years old." Shen Yuxin realized what Huo Rong was doing, she just shook her head and giggled lightly. Huo Rong grabbed Shen Yuan''s hands while looking at him intently as she said, "Then shouldn''t we be your big sisters instead of Aunt? After all, we are only 28 years old now, and you are 27." Shen Yuan looked at her with a bit of confusion still on his face, "Well, what you said does make sense." Huo Rong cheered as she said, "Great, from now on, you can address us as sisters instead of Aunts; it always made me feel that I''m old; isn''t it great that we have a younger brother now, Bing Rong?" She smiled brightly as if her n had finally seeded. Bing Rong nodded her head with a smile and nodded in agreement, "Yes, Yuan''er, it''s less formal and makes us feel closer, after all, we are not much older than you if we count both of your lives." Shen Yuan felt warm at their enthusiasm. He also felt that it was oddly satisfying to call them sisters instead of aunts. "All right, Sister Huo Rong, Sister Bing Rong," Shen Yuan said with a small chuckle, "I think I will get used to that pretty soon; it feels better to call you sisters than aunts." Chapter 27: New Quest Shen Yuxin who was looking at the interaction between Huo Rong, Bing Rong, and Shen Yuan in amusement spoke finally, "Yuan''er, it seems like you are getting along quite well with your ''Big Sisters'' now," She teased slightly, "Will you forgot your dear old mother at this rate?" Shen Yuan smiled wryly as he replied, "Don''t tease me, Mom, how can I forget you." Shen Yuxin smiled lightly at his reply and looked outside the window; seeing that it was almost night, she said, "It''s gettingte now; let''s go and eat dinner before heading to bed; tomorrow will be a busy day as well with Shen Yuan''s training." Shen Yuan, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong nodded their heads and stood up, making their way towards the dining hall. The mansion maids had already prepared the food for them. All of them sat down at the table and began eating while talking andughing. Shen Yuan could feel that the bond between him and his family has grown much further and they have grown closer. While finishing eating, Huo Rong said, "Let''s go for a walk in the garden after we finish eating the food." Shen Yuxin nodded and said, "Yes, that sounds like a good idea, let''s do that after we finish eating." Shen Yuan also smiled softly as he said, "Yes, I would love to take a walk with all of you." After they finished eating they left the dining hall to go towards the garden for a walk. There was a gentle breeze blowing in the garden, feeling as if a cold breeze in a warm winter. There were trees all over the ce with well-trimmed bushes and flowers everywhere. They all walked together in the garden while talking about their current life. Huo Rong''s eyes lit up with a yful light as she nudged Shen Yuan and spoke, "Why don''t you sleep with us tonight Yuan''er? Both me and Bing Rong would love that." Bing Rong nodded her head with an expectant light as she said, "Yes, Yuan''er, I would also love that, you never slept with us before, so why not try something new??" Before Shen Yuan could reply, the system voice rang in his ears, [Ding!] [New Quest: A Night with Big Sisters] -Objectives: 1- Spend the night in Huo Rong and Bing Rong''s room. 2- Learn more about their past. 3- Make them reveal their true status. -Reward: 1- Dual Element Jade Bracelets: A pair of jade bracelets, one infused with Fire Law and the other with Ice Law, designed to enhance the cultivation speed of fire and ice users. They also help calm the mind during cultivation and are specially crafted for women. 2- Sword 34: An unknown and almost unbreakable sword, it doesn''t have much attacking power and its attack potency is also low. 3- Yin-Yang Lotus Seed: A rare treasure formed from the union of fire and ice energies. Consuming it enhances dual-element cultivation, increases affinity with fire and ice, and boosts cultivation speed. -Bonus Reward: 500 Chaos Coins if all 3 objectives are achieved. - Penalty of Failure- 1 Month of Stagnant Cultivation -Time Limit: Tonight Shen Yuan looked through the new quest quickly, asking the system in his mind, ''Why is there a penalty this time? I don''t think there was a penalty for the previous quest.'' [Upgrades Host.] ''...'' ''And? Fuck! Don''t tell me you added penalties just for fun.'' [It''s for the benefit of the Host.] ''Fuck You!'' Shen Yuan looked at Huo Rong who had just asked him to sleep in their room today, he smiled nervously and said, "Ehehe I- I think it will be fun. I also want to spend some time with you." He still remembered hisst quest, so he was also looking for an opportunity toplete it. Huo Rong and Bing Rong cheered at his reply, "Yeahhh, it will be so fun tonight." Huo Rong said cheerfully. Then Huo Rong and Bing Rong looked at Shen Yuxin, asking for her permission. Shen Yuxin looked at them and said in a slightly yful voice, "Even if I don''t want my Yuan''er to leave me for one night, from the looks of it he will run away in the middle of the night, so just go and sleep there today." Huo Rong and Bing Rong heaved a sigh as they got permission from Shen Yuxin, they began leaving the garden and going towards their room in tow with Shen Yuan, leaving Shen Yuxin to go to her room. As Shen Yuan followed Huo Rong and Bing Rong to their room, he couldn''t help but wonder how he wouldplete the quest, he was fairly sure that the first quest would bepleted today. The idea of sharing the same room with Huo Rong and Bing Rong excited him and made him nervous as well when he thought about what happened between him and Huo Rong during the day. Once inside the room, Huo Rong and Bing Rong started making preparations for the night. The room was spacious, with well-decorated furniture, and arge bed adorned with silk sheets. There was incense burning as well to spread a good aroma. Shen Yuan found that the environment of the room wasfortable with the aroma of the incense. "Here Yuan''er, put this on," Bing Rong said with a smile, "It will be morefortable for you when you sleep in it." Shen Yuan nodded while taking the clothes and went to a nearby screen while the sisters busied themselves with their own preparation. When he emerged, he noticed that both of them had also changed into matching nightgowns, both excluding a mix of charm andfort. Huo Rong was wearing a blue nightgown while Bing Rong was wearing a red nightgown. Both wearing the opposite colors. "Come, Yuan''er, let''s sit down on the bed and talk, we have the whole night to talk to our heart''s content today." Huo Rong spoke in a slightly suggestive tone, indicating that Shen Yuan talked about what happened in the bathroom. But Shen Yuan yed dumb and replied, "Yes, Sister Huo Rong, we have the whole night to ourselves tonight, so we can take our time to enjoy it." Shen Yuan went to sit beside Huo Rong, just inches away from her, then Bing Rong came and sat beside Shen Yuan, effectively sandwiching him between them. Chapter 28: Huo Rong and Bing Rongs Past Bing Rong looked at Shen Yuan and asked lightly, "Yuan''er, have you ever thought of joining a sect for cultivation?" Shen Yuan turned his face and replied, "I haven''t decided if I want to join a sectter or not, since I have a lot of time then I will decideter. Do you have any rmendations for me to join the sect sister Bing Rong?" Bing Rong replied in a gentle tone as she talked about her sect, "I and Huo Rong are from the same sect, it is a sect located in the Aurora Zone of the eastern continent. Our sect is one of the strongest sects in the Eastern Deste region, it is ranked as one of the top 10 strongest sects in the region." Bing Rong continued, "It has lots of cultivators from many types of species from all over the region. You should definitely join our sect if you do decide to join a sectter." Shen Yuan''s eyes glowed as he heard about how powerful the sect is, he asked, "Will I be able to join the sect or is there a requirement?" Huo Rong smiled stiffened as she remembered the requirements to join the sect, she replied, "Hehe¡­he¡­well Shen Yuan there are two ways for you to join the sect, through the sect entrance test or you can directly ask your mother to let you join it, she is also a part of the sect." Shen Yuan tilted his head as he asked, "So my mother is also a part of the sect? Did you all meet up in the sect?" Huo Rong replied before Bing Rong could speak, making Bing Rong re at her, "That''s correct Shen Yuan, when we met your Mom, we were merely outer disciples of the sect." Shen Yuan remembered the quest to find out the hidden status of both of them so he pressed further and asked, "If you meet my mom so long ago then I don''t think you guys are ordinary maids, after all even my mother treats you both as her daughters." Huo Rong felt cold sweat running down her back as she hastily replied, "Haha Shen Yuan you are overthinking it, we were really epted as your mother''s maid by her when she saw us in the outer sect." Shen Yuan didn''t believe one word of her as he knew they were hiding something, he once again asked, "Just tell me the truth Sister Bing Rong, Sister Huo Rong, I know you guys are hiding something, those kinds of interaction are notmon between a maid and their mistress." Huo Rong and Bing Rong froze at the same time, after a while Bing Rong took a deep breath as she said, "The truth is, we are disciples of your mother Shen Yuan, she made us y as your aunt so you won''t be too lonely while growing up, because she can''t trust outsiders to take care of you." She hastily exined thinking he might have misunderstood them and thought they were hiding something. [Ding!] [A quest objective achieved.] Shen Yuan''s expression softened as he smiled lightly, he wrapped his arms around Bing Rong, pulling her into a gentle embrace. His chest pressed tightly against her bosom, the sensation of his warm skin seeping through her nightgown, making her skin a little hot. Shen Yuan breathed in deeply while hugging her, inhaling the fragrance of Bing Rong''s body, making him feel lightheaded. He spoke while caressing her back with his hand, "I''m sorry to force you like this sister Bing Rong, I just wanted to know about it, it was making me too curious." Shen Yuan spoke with a soft tone to console her. Bing Rong smiled gently at hisforting actions when she felt his hand roaming all over her back, she replied, "It''s not a big deal Shen Yuan, after we learned about your past today, our master must have already decided to tell you about us, after all you are not a kid who would need to be pampered all the time." As she finished speaking Huo Rong''s slightly jealous voice sounded from the side, "Alright that''s enough hugging, you both will merge at this rate." She separated both of them, she continued while pointing at Bing Rong whose face was slightly red due to the hug, "And you! Behave yourself, why are you turning red just from a hug from him?" Bing Rong got flushed at her reply as she lowered her head in embarrassment but she caught something fishy in her words as she abruptly raised her head and questioned Huo Rong, "Just from a hug? What do you mean by that?? Have you done anything else to Shen Yuan??" Bing Rong looked intensely at Huo Rong while questioning her, meanwhile, Shen Yuan was sitting there watching the drama unfold, he was wondering how Huo Rong would save her skin this time. Huo Rong started sweating as she didn''t expect that she would slip up here, she stuttered, "T-There i-is no-nothint sis¡­hehe¡­he-" Bing Rong pressed further as she asked, "Why are you not responding to me straight, tell me the truth! What things have you done with Yuan''er behind my back? You know you can''t lie with me when we both are twins." Huo Rong gave up on hiding it and carefully nned on what to say, "It''s nothing really, I only helped Yuan''er a little with things." Bing Rong looked at her suspiciously while asking, "Really? You didn''t do anything weird with Shen Yuan?" Huo Rong nodded her head quicking thinking that she was safe, "Yes, truly I didn''t do anything weird." While nodding her gaze fell towards Shen Yuan, who was smirking evilly. "Yes we didn''t do anything weird, we only kissed today." Shen Yuan spoke in an innocent tone as if he didn''t have any idea what he has done. He was just adding oil to the mes. Huo Rong''s eyes widened as she looked toward Shen Yuan, not expecting him to betray her like this and reveal their little secret in front of Bing Rong like this. Chapter 29: Kiss Bing Rong''s eyes lit up in mes of either jealousy or anger as she spanked Huo Rong''s tits while scolding her, "You damn vixen, you are already going after Shen Yuan??" "Ahh~ you pped my boobs again!" She felt the pain and pleasure of the spank as she moved back a little, massaging her boobs while she rolled her eyes as she continued, "Well since the cat is out of the bag then I might as well admit it, it wasn''t me who took the initiative for a kiss but it was Shen Yuan, he kissed me as a thank you for helping him take a bath." Bing Rong paused as her eyes revealed an astonished look, she turned to face Shen Yuan and asked, "Is that true Yuan''er? Did you kiss her to thank her for helping you?" Shen Yuan nearly cursed Huo Rong for throwing him under the bus as he looked towards Huo Rong, only to see her smiling in satisfaction, after seeding in her revenge. Shen Yuan thought, ''Heh, you think you can one-up me that easily?'' Shen Yuan looked towards Bing Rong, smiling softly as he continued, "Yes she is correct Sister Bing Rong, I kissed her to show my appreciation to her." He stood up and walked towards Bing Rong, asking her, "Come here, let me tell you something." Bing Rong''s eyes clouded in confusion as she leaned down towards Shen Yuan, wondering what he was about to say, meanwhile, Huo Rong''s eyes widened in surprise as she realized what Shen Yuan was about to do. Before she could react and stop Shen Yuan, he gave her a peck on the cheek of Bing Rong while saying, "Here, now you both are the same, don''t tell me that I treated you differently. This was my thank you for telling me about you being my mother''s disciples." He revealed a sweet smile when he finished speaking, walking back towards the bed and lying down in the middle of it. Bing Rong''s face was slightly red as she realized what happened just now, while Huo Rong was fuming as Bing Rong also received a kiss, Huo Rong went towards the bed andy down on the right side of Shen Yuan, whileining, "You didn''t have to kiss her just now, a simple thank you was enough." Shen Yuan smiled slightly as he asked, "Oh? Are you jealous?" "Why would I be jealous?" She replied in a weak voice, just then Bing Rong also came out of her daze and looked at Shen Yuan and Huo Rong talking andughing on the bed, she decided to join them as well, she went to the left side of Shen Yuan and lied down there. They all talked for a long while, Huo Rong and Bing Rong talked about their past, how they met their master, and what they were doing before that. But strangely they didn''t talk much about their sects, when Shen Yuan noticed it he asked, "Why are you guys deliberately avoiding talking about your sect?" Bing Rong smiled mysteriously as she said, "Well, you will find out about our sect in the future if you decide to join it." Shen Yuan could only give up after hearing that, he asked the system, ''System, show me today''s quest.'' [Ding!] [Quest: A Night with Big Sisters] -Objectives: 1- Spend the night in Huo Rong and Bing Rong''s room. 2- Learn more about their past. 3- Make them reveal their true status. ''Hmm, so my quest is basically finished, I learned about their true status, that they are my mom''s disciples, and we are talking about their past currently, and in the morning the first objective will bepleted as well. Now I just have to wait and see if Sister Huo Rong will kiss back as her revenge or not.'' Shen Yuan smiled after he finished checking the quest as he replied to Bing Rong, "Alright then I will look forward to seeing how magnificent the sect truly is." Bing Rong smiled sweetly at his answer as she gotfortable lying down, they continued their chatte in the night when Huo Rong suddenly said, "Yuan''er, don''t you think it''s unfair that you kissed me but I haven''t kissed you yet?" Shen Yuan turned his face a little toward her and thought, ''Finally it''s here'' He spoke with a confused tone, "What do you mean by that? Didn''t you enjoy it?" Huo Rong''s face turned a little red as she defended herself, "This and that are two different things, it is unfair that I haven''t kissed you yet!" Bing Rong, who had been quietly listening in their conversation asked Huo Rong, "Then what do you want to do with him, Huo Rong?" Huo Rong replied with a smirk, "What else? I want to kiss him back as well." Bing Rong''s face flushed red as she yelled at Huo Rong, "You shameless sister, have some decency, he only kissed you to thank you for your help, why are you making it as he enjoyed it??" Huo Rong tilted her head as she said, "Is that so?" Meanwhile, Shen Yuan was internally screaming, ''Ahh, what are you doing sister Bing!! Why are you ruining my n??'' He began praying for her to stop, and just then Huo Rong spoke, "You know Bing Rong, sometimes you have to be shameless to get what you want." She leaned towards Shen Yuan quickly as soon as she finished speaking, giving a peck on his lips, the soft feelings on his lips made Shen Yuan hot as even he didn''t expect that she would do this so quickly. Huo Rong''s eyes were closed while kissing as Shen Yuan was busy feeling this otherworldly feeling on his lips, the soft pink lips felt so good that he thought it would be better if time stopped right now. As Huo Rong moved back, Shen Yuan felt as if he lost something, Huo Rong licked her lips as she looked at Shen Yuan''s red face, her face also turning red despite her bold actions that she did just now. Chapter 30: Cultivation World Bing Rong''s face was red as well as she felt embarrassed about watching it all. She didn''t expect her sister to be so bold that she went directly for a kiss on the lips. She shuttered as she spoke, "Wha-what are you doing Huo Rong!!!! He didn''t kiss you on the lips!!" Huo Rong replied as she savored the taste on her lips, "Haven''t you heard about interest, my dear sister? That was just a little interest from me." Shey down again on the bed after speaking, burying her head on the soft pillow to not show her face. Shen Yuan came out of his daze as he still vividly remembered the sensation of her lips on his. He teased Huo Rong, "Are you embarrassed now that you kissed me?" Huo Rong''s muffled voice came from below the pir, "Aren''t you 7? Act your age!" Shen Yuan smiled as he patted her back and replied, "It''s not a secret now that I''m already 27, I already told you about it, so we both are of the same age." Huo Rong protested again weakly, "It''s just a normal kiss, it isn''t anything weird, I heard from the mansion maids that it is normal among brothers and sisters to do." Bing Rong''s eyes twitched as she had also calmed down by now. "Are you sure about that? Some mansion maids told you that? They were talking about those Dual Cultivation sects most likely." She spoke with a suspicious tone. Huo Rong raised her head as she looked directly at Bing Rong and nearly screamed, "What does it matter to you? Just leave me alone, I don''t care anymore." Shen dropped her head back on the pillow, refusing to raise it no matter what Bing Rong said, Shen Yuan was amused looking at all this as he said, "Look, Sister Bing Rong, you made her embarrassed, now sister Huo Rong is not even raising her head hahaha." At the end of his words, Shen Yuanughed at her cute actions. Bing Rong fumed for a while but also calmed down, "Hmph! She just wanted an excuse to kiss you," She hmph''ed with a salty expression. Shen Yuan then asked, "By the way sister Bing Rong, what sister Huo Rong spoke about dual cultivation sect, is that true." Bing Rongy down again and began speaking, "Yes, it is indeed true Yuan''er, but even outside that sect there are a lot of ces where incest ismon, some do it to keep their bloodline pure, while others do it as their tradition or culture, so it is quitemon in this world. Was it notmon in your previous world?" Shen Yuan was surprised when he learned about themon incest practice of this world, nheless, he answered her question, "Yes, it was something like a taboo to marry in the same family in my previous world, half of that was due to morals of them, and other half was due to the possibility of babies being born with defects in their genes. Isn''t there anything like that in this world? Babies being born unhealthy due to incest?" Shen Yuan was really curious about this so he asked her, to which Bing Rong replied, "No, there are no such problems, what you are referring to is something that happens to only mortals in this world, they are born defective due to the sh in genes, but as we cultivate we perfect our bodies and refine our bodies with the energies of heaven and earth." "So, the cultivators don''t have these problems, no diseases of mortals can harm us as well, and even if mortals have some disease and they start cultivating then it will be healed as soon as they break through to the foundation establishment realm." Shen Yuan absorbed all the knowledge as he asked inside his mind, ''So, is it okay to go after my sisters and mother?'' [Host, you were never blood-rted to them, it was your morals from your past life which restricted your thinking.] Shen Yuan got annoyed as the system exposed his inner thoughts as he replied back, ''I wasn''t asking you to reply! Go away, you nosey bastard.'' Even though Shen Yuan was still thinking about all this stuff he still had an understanding expression on his face as he asked Bing Rong, "Then what about you guys? What are your thoughts on this?" Bing Rong smiled gently and replied, "I don''t have any particr opinion about them, after all, they are not affecting me, and I don''t care enough about them to form an opinion." They continued to chat and Huo Rong also joined them after sulking for a while. After some time Huo Rong teased Bing Rong with a smug grin on her face, "Hey, aren''t you wondering how it felt to kiss Shen Yuan? I remember quite clearly how you were watching us so intently." Bing Rong''s face went beet red as Huo Rong exposed her inner thoughts mercilessly in front of Shen Yuan. She got flustered as she replied, "Wh-What nonsense are you talking about?? I''m thinking nothing like that!" Huo Rong turned to face Shen Yuan and asked in a suggestive tone, "Yuan''er, aren''t you wondering what your big sis Bing Rong tastes like? Don''t you want to know about this?" Shen Yuan''s heart skipped a beat as he listened to Huo Rong''s words, turning his face to look at the embarrassed Bing Rong, he felt a fire burning inside of him, pushing himself to agree with Huo Rong. He only nodded his head slightly, but Huo Rong noticed this as she raised her voice and teased Bing Rong. "See, Bing Rong!! Even he agrees with me! What are you waiting for?? Just go ahead and do it. I already did it so what is stopping you!" She continued speaking in a mischievous tone as if she wanted to see the world burn. Bing Rong red at Huo Rong and replied, "I''m not as shameless as you! That''s what is stopping me." Huo Rong shook her head as she just pushed Shen Yuan towards Bing Rong, who caught him in a hurry, worrying he might get injured. Chapter 31: Morning But Huo Rong pushed him at such an angle that Shen Yuan''s lips and Bing Rong''s lips touched, a soft and sensual sensation spreading through Shen Yuan''s body, realizing that he once again was feeling what heaven was like. Bing Rong''s body also got hot as she felt Shen Yuan''s soft lips, and when she thought about how she was only a year older than him she didn''t think further and just enjoyed the situation. After what felt like an eternity, Huo Rong''s yful voice sounded as she poked Shen Yuan''s back who was on top of Bing Rong. Shen Yuan came out of his daze but he was unwilling to move so he pretended that he didn''t feel anything. While Bing Rong also woke up from her daze and got flustered as she sat straight and made Shen Yuan lie down on the side. She replied to Huo Rong, "What are you doing?? Why did you push Shen Yuan like that?? What if he hurt himself if he falls down?" Huo Rong smirked, "Are you even listening to yourself? Shen Yuan is already a Flesh Training real cultivator and not a normal one at that but a genius among geniuses, you are saying he will hurt himself if he dropped himself to the floor?" Bing Rong got tongue-tied as she didn''t know what to say, while Huo Rong asked again, "So, how was it? Did you like it? After all, it was your first kiss." Bing Rong just ignored her sister and asked Shen Yuan, "Are you alright? Sorry that it happened." Shen Yuan, still lost in the feeling of her soft lips replied absent-mindedly, "Yes I''m good." Bing Rong heaved a sigh as she was finally relieved. Bing Rong looked outside the window and saw howte it was, "Alright, let''s go to sleep, Yuan''er needs to train tomorrow." Shen Yuan came out of his daze and nodded his head in agreement, "Yes that''s true, even though rxing sometimes like this is fine I must also not ck on my training. From tomorrow for at least a week, I will train mybat Techniques. Because I was just a normal college student in my past life I''m reallycking in that area." Huo Rong and Bing Rong nodded their heads in understanding as Huo Rong spoke, "Don''t worry Yuan''er, we will teach you to the best of our abilities, we can be quite good sparring partners after you have defeated those puppets.". All three of them continued to chat while lying down and Shen Yuan went to sleep without even realizing it, Huo Rong spoke when she looked at the peaceful face of Shen Yuan, "Look how cute he looks while sleeping, and thenpare it with his mischievous personality when he is awake." Bing Rong smiled softly as she nodded her head in agreement, "Well, that''s true as well, but what do you think, where did he get his cultivation technique from?? It''s so much more profound and better than what we gave him, if he practices with it then he will be much stronger than the average cultivator even without his physique." Huo Rong replied in wonder, "Who knows where he got those from, all I know is he is our cute little brother and we will have to protect him until he bes strong himself." Bing Rong smiled in agreement as she replied, "We need to master our powers as well to receive that inheritance." Huo Rong replied in annoyance, "You can cultivate if you want to, I won''t be cultivating today, it isn''t every day that we get a chance to sleep with Yuan''er." She finished speaking hugged Shen Yuan''s right side and closed her eyes while continuing, "You can meditate yourself, just don''t disturb our rest." Bing Rong replied with an equal amount of annoyance in her voice, "Who said that I wanted to meditate today? I also want to sleep with Yuan''er today." She grabbed the left side of Shen Yuan and hugged him to sleep. All three went to sleep, while Shen Yuan didn''t even realize what kind of ''soft'' situation he was in. ¡­ Morning birds chirped as Shen Yuan opened his eyes, but he felt heavy as he couldn''t get up, he looked left and right and what he saw left him feeling light-headed, Huo Rong and Bing Rong, in their nightgowns which were barely covering anything right now we''re lying on top of him. Their boobs squished his face in between giving him a heavenly feeling. He almost didn''t want to wake up as he felt this was the mostfortable thing he had felt. But he remembered that he still had to train so he tried to wake up Huo Rong and Bing Rong, speaking in a gentle tone to not startle them, "Sister Huo Rong, Sister Bing Rong, wake up now, it''s already morning." He gently nudged them to wake up, but none of the two budged a little, so Shen Yuan tried to free his hands. He pulled out his right hand and poked Huo Rong''s cheeks, "Wake up Sister Huo Rong!" He spoke again but still no answer. He was getting suspicious at this point, were they really sleeping or just acting, he thought of an idea as he spoke again, "Sigh, Mother might be angry at us if we arete for training." As soon as Shen Yuan finished saying this sentence, it was as if someone stepped on a cat''s tail as both of them stirred slightly and slowly woke up. Huo Rong slowly raised up her body as if she had just woken up, She looked at Shen Yuan, "Oh, Yuan''er you are already awake?? How did you sleep? Were youfortable?" Bing Rong also looked at Shen Yuan after waking up, looking if he wasfortable with them. Shen Yuan smiled slightly as he saw that his n worked, but since they were trying to change the subject he followed their lead and replied, "Yes, I had the mostfortable sleep of my life for as long as I remember, it was like I was back in my mother''s embrace." Huo Rong and Bing Rong smiled slightly at his response, feeling quite good, but then Shen Yuan noticed their clothes were all messy and he could almost see the pink peak of Huo Rong due to her nightgown sliding down her shoulder. He tried hard to ignore that and spoke, "Let''s fresh up and go to have breakfast, mother should be waiting for us there." Bing Rong and Huo Rong agreed as they rose up from bed and left to freshen up, Shen Yuan sat up straight and thought, "Cultivator''s lives are reallyfortable, they don''t even need to take a shit, the qi would destroy all metabolic matter inside a cultivators body if the level is not high, and if its the spirit food then there won''t even be any waste for the qi to destroy since it will be refined by a cultivator to reinforce their cultivation." Shen Yuan also stood up to wash his face and meet up with his Mom. Chapter 32: Rewards Shen Yuan finished washing up and sat on the bed inside the room to wonder about a few things. He asked the system, "Hey system, I remembered there was ''temporary'' written next to mybat strength tab, show that to me again." [Ding!] [Battle Power- 220 Tons/ Higher than normal Bone Forging Cultivators.(Temporary)] "Now System, show me my current strength." [Ding!] [Battle Power- 150 Tons/ Higher than normal Altering Muscle realm cultivator.] Shen Yuan blinked his eyes in confusion as he asked the system, "Why did my strength decrease? Wasn''t it 220 tons before?" The system replied, [Host strength was temporarily increased due to Host''s physique. Since the host''s current cultivation base can''t control the Physique it shows its effects at random. Due to the Host''s action with Huo Rong in the bathroom, the physique was activated and temporarily gave the host a small boost.] Shen Yuan nodded his head in understanding as he understood what the system meant, "Alright, I understand this. Now show me both of the quests that you have given me before." [ Quest: A Kiss from Huo Rong or Bing Rong] Objective: Receive a kiss from either Huo Rong or Bing Rong. Details: - Quest Description: The system has detected a strong emotional bond between you and both of your aunts Huo Rong and Bing Rong. To deepen this connection and test your charm, the system has issued a quest for you to receive a kiss from one of them. -Reward: 50 Chaos Coins -Bonus Reward: An additional 200 Chaos Coins if the kiss is on the lips. - Time Limit: 7 Days [Ding!] [Quest Completed] [Congrattions, Host! Due to your exceptional performance, you have earned additional rewards.] [Rewards; 1- 300 Chaos Coins 2- Flesh Enhancement Pill x10 3- Cultivators Basic Robes x10 Shen Yuan read the list of rewards as he nodded, "300 Chaos Coins and 10 Flesh Enhancement Pills, good enough for the first quest, exin what this strengthening elixir is. [Flesh Enhancement Pill: A pill that enhances the natural muscle and flesh of the body, elerating progress in the Flesh Training stage. "Hmm, so it''s the same as the previous elixir?" [Flesh Enhancement pill will also increase the strength of the host''s body by a slight amount.] Shen Yuan put away the rewards in his system space, looking at it he thought, ''This system space is too precious to be wasted with these low-level things, I will ask Mom to give me a storage ringter.'' "Alright, now show me yesterday''s quest objectives and rewards." [Ding!] -Objectives: 1- Spend the night in Huo Rong and Bing Rong''s room. 2- Learn more about their past. 3- Make them reveal their true status. -Reward: 1- Dual Element Jade Bracelets: A pair of jade bracelets, one infused with Fire Law and the other with Ice Law, designed to enhance the cultivation speed of fire and ice users. They also help calm the mind during cultivation and are specially crafted for women. 2- Sword 34: An unknown and almost unbreakable sword, it doesn''t have much attacking power and its attack potency is also low. 3- Yin-Yang Lotus Seed: A rare treasure formed from the union of fire and ice energies. Consuming it enhances dual-element cultivation, increases affinity with fire and ice, and boosts cultivation speed. -Bonus Reward: 500 Essence if all 3 objectives are achieved. [Ding!] [Quest Completed.] [Congrattions, Host! Due topleting all objectives, you have earned Bonus rewards as well.] [Rewards: 1- Dual Elemental Jade Bracelets 2- Sword 34 3- Yin-Yang Lotus Seed Shen Yuan excitedly looked through all the rewards, he tried to pick up the Sword 34 first but he couldn''t even budge it with all his strength, "System, put this sword in inventory. Looks like I need to increase my cultivation base first before using it." He then looked towards the next gift, the jade bracelets, "I will just give this to Sister Huo Rong and Sister Bing Rong, these would be perfect for them." He put them away, while his gaze finallynded on the Lotus Seed. He asked the system, "Tell me the best use of this seed system, would it be better to consume it or grow it?" [Host should keep the Lotus Flower for now, you can''t make use of it before the host reaches the Qi refining realm. And the next update of the system will be useful to make use of this seed''s fullest potential.] Shen Yuan hummed in agreement as he put the seed away as well. ¡­ Shen Yuan was walking through the hallway alone since Huo Rong and Bing Rong said they overslept and needed some time to get prepared, it wasn''t problematic as they weren''t really the maids of his mother and they didn''t have to pretend in front of Shen Yuan anymore. Shen Yuan reached the dining hall gate and swung it open, inside were maids preparing food and Shen Yuxin was sitting there looking outside the window, but when she felt the dining room door open, she turned her face to look at who it was. She smiled lightly as she saw it was Shen Yuan, she motioned for him to sit down at the dining table, and Shen Yuan went and sat on his chair beside Shen Yuxin Shen Yuxin looked towards him and asked with a faint smile,"How was your sleep Yuan''er? Did you enjoy yourself?" Shen Yuan smiled slightly as he replied in a good mood, "Yes Mom, I enjoyed myself very much, I got to know a lot about them, and I even learned that they are your disciples. I always had my suspicions that they aren''t normal maids of yours. I didn''t expect them to be your disciples. Shen Yuxin had expected for the sisters to tell him about themselves so she wasn''t surprised as she asked back, "So, what do you think about it? Are you happy now that they be your sisters? Well, I can tell you are happy without even asking hahaha." They continued talking for quite some time more, Shen Yuan sharing some things from the previous night as they waited for Huo Rong and Bing Rong to join them for breakfast. Chapter 33: Reason for Strength Dropping It didn''t take long for both Huo Rong and Bing Rong toe to the dining hall with simply decorated Red and Blue cultivator robes respectfully. Shen Yuan looked towards them and his eyes brightened as heplimented them, "You both look so gorgeous today Sister Huo, Sister Bing." Huo Rong and Bing Rong smiled gently at hispliment as they went to sit on their respective seats. They chatted and talked about Shen Yuan''s training while eating, deciding on how he would train. Time passed as they finished their breakfast, Shen Yuxin stood up and said, "Alright, let''s go to the training room to continue this talk." Shen Yuan and all the others finished their breakfast and went to the training room. Shen Yuan entered the training and he was still in awe of its absurd size. ''These mystical realms are really absurd, but I think I heard these are the lowest types of inheritance grounds, there might be more good stuff in those higher-level inheritance grounds.'' He wondered as he entered the training room. He stood alone aside from Huo Rong, Bing Rong, and Shen Yuxin, ready to train as he asked his mother, "Mom, will I train mybat skills with the training puppets today?" Shen Yuxin nodded her head and replied, "Yes, Yuan''er. It''s important to train your basics as well, if you have a solid foundation from a young age then you will be able to master your abilitiester in your life." Shen Yuan agreed with her, "Alright Mom, but I want to tell you something." He spoke with a hint of nervousness in his voice, fearing what she would think when he told her about his strength. Shen Yuxin felt his nervousness as she smiled lightly and asked, "What happened Yuan''er? You can tell me anything." She reassured him withforting words. Shen Yuan took a deep breath before he started speaking, "I tested my strength in the morning and I think it''s around 150 tons and not 220 tons before I had that strength due to my physique effect." Shen Yuxin heaved a sigh of relief as she thought that something had gone wrong with his cultivation, she smiled and replied, "It doesn''t matter Yuan''er, you are still much more powerful than others of the same level, you haven''t even taken any treasure or pills to increase your strength. As for your physique, do you know what kind of physique it is? I have never heard of this physique before." In the end, her voice was filled with curiosity and wonder, totally ignoring the fact that Shen Yuan had be weaker than before, she didn''t show the slightest bit of disappointment in Shen Yuan, she just treated it as his physique''s advantage. Shen Yuan felt warm in his chest at the care of his mother, she didn''t even ask how he knew and why he hadn''t told her before, she was only looking out for him. Shen Yuan thought for a second, he didn''t want to tell that about his physique yet because he was embarrassed about admitting that he had a dual cultivation oriented physique. He made up an excuse, "I don''t know what kind of physique it is mom, I only know that it increases my power randomly." Shen Yuxin didn''t press further as she saw that he didn''t want to talk about his physique, she changed the topic and began, "Alright, let''s start your training," She took out another wooden puppet but its vibes were different than the ones before. It was more aggressive and menacing. "This puppet is best for your current level, it can withstand 160 tons of force and it unleashed 100 tons of force." She spoke with a cheering tone. Shen Yuan''s face twitched a little as he asked, "Mom, are you trying to kill me with this puppet?!? I have never even trained, this will be a one-sided beating." Shen Yuxin pped her forehead lightly as she totally forgot about this, she put the puppet back and spoke in an embarrassed tone, "Cough, I forgot about that, let''s first start with training your basic stances." Shen Yuan heaved a sigh of relief as he thought that she was really going to kill him, he nodded his head and asked, "Okay Mom, how should I begin?" Shen Yuxin began teaching him about the basic fighting stance, telling him where to ce his foot, how to take advantage of momentum, where to strike, and how to dodge, she gave him a long theoretical and practical lecture where she made him do the poses so he can understand it better. Shen Yuan kept absorbing the knowledge like a sponge and growing better at it at a visible rate. Shen Yuxin looked at it and nodded while saying, "Alright, Shen Yuan, we will continue training like this for the next 3 days." Shen Yuan nodded his head with determination and spoke, "I will train until my body copses or until it''s time to eat food." Shen Yuxin''s face bloomed with a slight smile. Thus Shen Yuan''s daily training routine began, and the system kept giving him random quests for two days as well. [Quest: Hold the hand of Huo Rong for 10 minutes.] [Reward: 3x Dust Free Robes and 50 Chaos Coins.] [Quest: Ask Bing Rong about what kind of man she likes.] [Reward: Frost Jade Bed.] ¡­ On the third day, Shen Yuan finished his basic training, Shen Yuxin spoke, "You are really a genius Shen Yuan, you only took 2 days to nearly master the basic fighting style, even the other top geniuses take months at your age to learn it." Shen Yuan smiled lightly, as even he didn''t think that he would be so good at it, ''Looks like it''s due to my bloodline, otherwise, my physique is dual cultivation oriented and it won''t give me such a huge boost.'' Shen Yuan then thought about the challenge from which he ran awayst time, he confidently spoke, "Mom, Take out the training puppet, let me make quick work of it." Chapter 34: Fighting the Puppet Shen Yuxin looked at his confident demeanor and nodded in approval, she took out the previous puppet and ced it next to Shen Yuan. "You should try to fight it with only your hands since you haven''t learned how to use a weapon yet." Shen Yuxin informed him about his shorings. Shen Yuan agreed and made some distance between himself and the puppet, then he took a deep breath, "Alright, activate the puppet Mom." Huo Rong and Bing Rong were standing further away and eating something like popcorn while watching Shen Yuan. Bing Rong asked Huo Rong, "Hey, Huo Rong, do you think he can defeat the puppet on his first try?" Huo Rong thought hard for a second and replied, "He might be able to, even though he has no experience, he learns extraordinarily fast, I haven''t heard of anyone winning against a puppet in their first fight, after all, most puppets are inbuild with basic fighting skills. So cultivators have to learn mid-battle on how to adapt and fight." Bing Rong nodded thoughtfully as she continued watching Shen Yuan. Over at the side of Shen Yuan, the puppet got activated, its eyes glowing a red light, making it even more menacing. Shen Yuan put his hands in front of his chest getting ready for a brutal fight. The puppet moved first as it sprinted towards Shen Yuan, while he taunted his muscles to resist the blow that he was expecting from the front. The puppet vanished in front of his eyes as if it had teleported, Shen Yuan''s eyes filled with confusion as he wondered where it went, just as he was about to turn and look back, the puppet''s fist connected with his ribs on his left side. The puppet used its movements to make Shen Yuan think that it had vanished, it was nothing but a sky footwork trick. However, due to Shen Yuan''s inexperience, he couldn''t detect it. Shen Yuan strumbled five steps behind himself and felt the pain radiate from his ribs, he took another deep breath topose himself, looking intently at the puppet this time, trying his best to not lose sight of it. The puppet once again began sprinting towards Shen Yuan, but this time he didn''t go in the standard pose and let his body be free, the puppet once again tried to vanish from his vision. But this time he urately captured the puppet that tried to slide in his blind spot to hit his ribs, blocking the punch with his forearms. But the impact still pushed him one step back. Shen Yuxin looked at it all and thought, ''He is learning as he is fighting and he is constantly improving. If he fought like this for a few more days then we can think of continuing his cultivation to a higher level.'' Shen continued observing him. Meanwhile, Shen Yuan was still getting pushed back by the puppet momentum. After all the puppet already took the upper hand when it pushed Shen Yuan back. One after another the puppet was sending punches towards Shen Yuan at a tricky angle. Some punchesnded on him but he withstood them and continued hisbat training. ¡­ Shen Yuan copsed on the floor after fighting for 10 minutes, not due to physical exertion but mental exhaustion as it was his first time fighting someone. He didn''t expect that his mind would be used even more than his body. Shen Yuxin came towards him and handed him a strange liquid. Shen Yuan looked at it in confusion and asked, "What is this mom?" Shen Yuxin gently patted his head and dusted his robes, "It''s a healing elixir Yuan''er, it will help with your exhaustion and heal your injuries as well. Even though there is no visible wound, you have actually ruptured a lot of your muscles and tissues. This will help you in healing it." Shen Yuan''s eyes brightened as he took it and asked, "How did you know about how injured I am Mom? You didn''t even check up on me yet." Shen Yuxin smiled smugly, "That''s because my cultivation level is that much higher than yours, I can see almost everything about you and nothing at the same time. It''s really strange, most high-level cultivators can read a low-level cultivator like an open book. It might be due to your special physique." Shen Yuan nodded thoughtfully, while Shen Yuxin continued, "Now, what do you think about your first training exercise? Do you like it?" Shen Yuan''s mouth twitched as he murmured, "Who would like to get abused for 10 minutes straight?" But then he raised his voice a little in excitement and continued, "But the feeling of constantly improving is intoxicating. I can''t wait to train again." Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong all smiled when they saw the excited expression on Shen Yuan''s face. Huo Rong patted Shen Yuan''s head and asked, "Do you still want to continue Yuan''er?" Shen Yuan nodded his head in excitement of getting stronger, Shen Yuxin just shook her head and moved back, but she was quite happy that Shen Yuan wasn''t like other kids who can''t even take a slight beating, tho it might have something to do with his past life. Shen Yuan stood up and looked at the spotless puppet, who didn''t even have a scratch yet due to his inability to defeat it. "Activate the puppet mom." Shen Yuan asked his mother to activate the puppet. Preparing to fight once again against this puppet. Shen Yuxin activated the puppet and it moved rapidly towards Shen Yuan, not even giving him time to adjust his stance, before he could even pull up his hands in defense the puppet punched him in the gut, making him nearly scream in pain, but he endured and tried to move back. But the puppet didn''t allow it as it also moved together with Shen Yuan and continued to hit him, but at this point, he was already prepared for its attack. Parrying them nearly. In the beginning, 7 out of 10 attacks hit him directly after bypassing his defenses, but as he continued to train further and further his resilience and perception increased, making it easier to predict the puppet''s moment and counter them. He went from seven to 5 hits per 10 hits. ''Making steady progress is the way. Even though the improving speed is quite slow I can only make do with it.'' If someone in the outside world heard his thoughts they would drown him in their spit. He was already abnormally fast even if he waspared to top geniuses, except some supreme geniuses no one would be able topete with his progression speed. Chapter 35: 4 Days Later Some time passed as they fought for 30 minutes this time, and even though Shen Yuansted much longer this timepared to his previous match, he still couldn''tnd a decent punch on the puppet. But Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong were shocked by his progress. It wasn''t normal by any means to be able to improve so fast. Mere physique or bloodline can''t exin this, there was something much greater about Shen Yuan that they couldn''t see. Shen Yuan sat up straight and picked up the healing elixir that his mom had given him earlier. He chugged it down at once. "Haah, this hits the spot." He said loudly after finishing drinking the elixir. Shen Yuxin who was on her way towards Shen Yuan giggled slightly as she heard what he said, Bing Rong and Huo Rong were also giggling slightly. Bing Rong said, "Yuan''er, it''s a healing elixir that you drank, not alcohol, why are you reacting so exaggeratinghahaha." Shen Yuan replied in an intrigued tone, "I just felt like it, why? Do I look like a clown?" Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong all nodded their heads at once, Shen Yuan just shook his head and replied, "Alright, let''s drop this topic now." Shen Yuxin nodded her head and asked, "Now, will you train or take some rest?" Shen Yuan replied with a smirk, "Of course I will train." ¡­ Time continued to pass as Shen Yuan was immersed in training, four days soon passed. During these 4 days Shen Yuan was fully immersed in his training, he trained for the whole day, and in the evening he either yed with Huo Rong and Bing Rong or spent the time in the library gathering knowledge. The system also issued a few missions and gave him rewards. But there was nothing worth mentioning. Shen Yuan stood in front of the training puppet once again on the 4th day, while Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong stood some distance away, observing their battles. Huo Rong asked Shen Yuxin, "What do you think, Master? Will Yuan''er be able to finally win against the puppet? Yesterday he was able to fight toe to toe with it at the end of his training." Shen Yuxin smiled proudly and replied, "Of course, he can win. He is improving at such a rapid rate that all the other geniuses are far behind him. But this training puppet is also of the lowest quality in terms of martial arts ability." Bing Rong nodded her head and said, "That''s true but we can''t forget that Shen Yuan is only 7 years old, he is still improving at a rapid rate, when he bes 18 years old he will be as skilled as a master martial artist who has been training for at least 50 years." They continued chatting as Shen Yuan and the puppet started fighting. They were exchanging blows for blow, not one of them taking a single step back, with Shen Yuan''s recent training his strength control also became much better. Even though he didn''t increase his physical powers his mastery over them helped him contend with the puppet whose strength was higher than himself. The puppet made use of its footwork to try to confuse Shen Yuan as usual but he already learned its pattern and was able to counter it with ease. After parrying another blow, he suddenly punched the puppet in the center of the chest, making a crack appear. From the start of the fight, he was aiming to weaken that part of the puppet with continued attacks so that with a final blow he could win. And he finally managed to make that blow. The puppet stopped moving with its defeat. Shen Yuan''s breathing was rapid due to his exhaustion, he wasn''t only drained physically but also mentally due to his high-intensity battle. Shen Yuxin Huo Rong and Bing Rong came towards him and congratted him on his win against the puppet. Shen Yuxin was the first one to say, "Congrattions, Shen Yuan. You finally managed to defeat your first opponent, but from now on, there will only be stronger opponents for you to face." Shen Yuan nodded his head in all seriousness. Even though he was exhausted, he couldn''t hide the excited gleam in his eyes, having finally managed to defeat his first opponent gave him a different type of exhration. Almost as if he was born to win against everyone. Shen Yuan then asked his mom, "Now what should I do Mom? Should I fight stronger opponents or cultivate?" He asked her for advice since he knew next to nothing about cultivation, Shen Yuxin nodded in approval and began speaking, "It''s good that you ask for advice Yuan''er, most geniuses refuse to speak with others about their cultivation due to being so proud of their achievements. Now since you have a good enough foundation we will focus on increasing your cultivation base." Shen Yuan nodded and sat down cross-legged to stabilize his breathing first, he referred to the Chaos Body Refinement Technique and used its breathing exercise to relieve his stress. Not even 5 minutes passed and he already was as good as before he started his training. It was due to the double effect of the healing elixir and his breathing technique. He stood up and asked, "How should I train now, Mom?" "Now that you are still in the flesh training realm, of course, we will have to train your flesh, you will undergo intense training to put pressure on your flesh. Let''s start with push-ups, you will do push-ups until you copse." Shen Yuxin spoke in a strict tone, not allowing Shen Yuan to ck in his training. Shen Yuan, who was expecting tough training got confused as he could do push-ups for as long as he wanted with his current physique, he asked, "Umm, Mom, are you sure that you want me to do push-ups?" Shen Yuxin nodded her head and sternly said, "Yes, you should start first, you will understand it as you push yourself against your limits." Shen Yuan nodded and turned around to go towards his training spot, he secretly ate a Flesh Enhancement Pill that he got from the system before. Looking forward to seeing its effect. Chapter 36: Breakthrough Just then the system spoke, [Why don''t you eat all 10 pills at once, host?] Shen Yuan asked in suspicion, ''Are you sure my body can withstand the pressure?'' The system replied confidently, [Your physique will take care of that host, just eat them and be stronger quickly.] Shen Yuan asked, ''Why are you in more rush than me to make myself stronger?'' The system stayed silent and didn''t reply again, Shen Yuan also decided to trust the system, ''Even if something went wrong, my mom will take care of that.'' He took all the pills one by one and ate them on his way back to his training area. He stood still for a second to feel the effects. His body started getting hot from the excess energy, and he felt that he needed to release it; he hurriedly went down and started doing push-ups; Shen Yuxin noticed his weird behavior but ignored it for now and released a wisp of her pressure. Shen Yuan felt as if 10,000 mountains were pressuring down on him, making him break out in cold sweat. But this was the kind of pressure he needed to digest all the pills. He started doing push-ups, rapidly reaching the count of 100, and continued for a while, he slowed down as he reached a higher number when he finally reached 989 push-ups. His breathing was rapid and all his muscles were straining themselves to their limit, he gritted his teeth as he continued his training. His body was bing stronger at a visible rate, nearing the brink of a breakthrough. Shen Yuxin continued releasing her pressure and increasing it bit by bit, not softening at the sight of struggling Shen Yuan at all. Huo Rong and Bing Rong were also looking closely at Shen Yuan, without making a sound as if afraid that they would disturb Shen Yuan. After 996 push-ups, he was on the brink of copsing, the energy from the pills wrecking inside his flesh, making his flesh stronger with each passing second. ''Haah, Haah, just a few more. I feel that I can break through.'' He pushed himself with a single thought of progressing further, he didn''t even know why he was pushing himself this far, it might be due to his lust for power, or it might be due to his family back on earth, or maybe his bloodline and physique''s influence or something else altogether or maybe all of thembined. He didn''t stop and just as he reached 1000 push-ups, he felt his body lighten up and the pressure became much more bearable to him. Even the pill''s effect vanished as if they all got digested. He copsed on the ground, breathing heavily. "Haah¡­haah¡­haah" He didn''t speak even after copsing, Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong gathered around him and looked at him silently with pride and approval in their eyes. They did not expect that Shen Yuan''s will would be so strong. "He only took around 2 hours to break through from the Flesh Training realm to Viscera Training, if he only focused on cultivation maybe he could finish the Body Forging Realm in a few weeks." Shen Yuxin nodded her head in agreement but didn''tment on that, still looking at Shen Yuan as he sat down and started his breathing exercise to catch his breath. ¡­ After 10 minutes Shen Yuan opened his eyes and the first thing that he saw was Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong sitting at a table while chatting and drinking tea. He stood up, dusted his clothes, and went towards them. He spoke loudly while walking, "What do you guys think? Am I not such a genius that I broke through so soon?" Bing Rong nodded her head and replied rather enthusiastically, "You truly are one of a kind genius, Yuan''er. I have not seen any genius that can bepared to you, all other geniuses pales inparison to you." Shen Yuan smiled smugly as he stood in front of them after reaching their spot, he sat down and started eating the cookies. All 4 just sat in silence enjoying the tea and snacks, Shen Yuan asked the system what he had been wondering for a long time. ''Hey system, what can my physique do? I haven''t felt any special effect of this physique.'' [Host needs to reach 18 years of age first before the physique stabilizes, due to it getting restricted by the transcendentws it isn''t synced with the world yet. During this period of time host can''t have any dual cultivation or else the physique might receive a bacsh and get damaged] Shen Yuan''s eyes widened in shock as he nearly cursed out loud after processing what the system said and asked back, ''Wait wait wait, what the fuck do you mean by that? I thought I would freely dual cultivate with my physique but I can''t even dual cultivate for over a fucking decade??'' The system replied, [Yes, that is correct, host. Oh and I forgot to mention but you can''t break through into the Qi Refinement realm as well due to that reason, otherwise, you might ruin your foundation.] Shen Yuan nearly fainted due to anger as he cursed inside his mind, ''What the fuck!! Is this physique beneficial for me or is it just there to fuck me over??'' The system replied to him, [Host needs not worry about not getting stronger, you should first reach the peak of body refinement to see what changes happen to the Chaos Body Refinement Technique.] Shen Yuan calmed down and began nning for his future, meanwhile, Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong noticed his abnormality but didn''t ask as Shen Yuxin knew he was hiding some secret and Huo Rong and Bing Rong didn''t ask because Shen Yuxin didn''t ask. ¡­ Time continued to pass, and seven monthster- Shen Yuan had reached the Tendon Transformation realm, on the brink of breaking through to the Organ Vitalization. He had grown taller and more handsome in this period of time as well. Slowly bing more and more like a true cultivator. He was sitting crossed legs on the ground inside the training room. Eating pills and practicing the breathing technique of the Chaos Body Refinement Technique. Chapter 37: Seven Months Later During these seven months, he had improved a lot, both in his cultivation and in his fighting experience, at some point he began sparring with Huo Rong and Bing Rong. Both suppressed their strength to match Shen Yuan''s strength. He also got a lot of good things from the system, people in the Eastern Deste region would even wage war for some of them. He also got a lot of the swords after Sword 34, he figured out that it must be a set so he kept them inside his storage ring that he got from Huo Rong. His rtionship with Huo Rong and Bing Rong also improved a lot, he slept a lot of times in their room ying and chatting with them, and alsopleting his missions on the way. He also left the mansion to explore the city a lot of times with Huo Rong and sometimes with Bing Rong. Now he was preparing to break through to the Organ Vitalization realm. After he reaches that level his Chaos Body Refinement Technique will undergo a change as promised by the system. He was sitting on the flowing green grass inside the training room, still the same as all those months back while Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong were sitting a lot further away from him. Huo Rong sighed with emotion as she said, "I didn''t expect that Yuan''er would improve so much in so little time, what other geniuses took years to achieve Shen Yuan achieved it in mere months and that''s even after we purposely suppressed his cultivation speed to train his fighting style. Otherwise, he would have long surpassed the Body Forging Realm." Bing Rong nodded her head in agreement as she also said, "Yuan''er is an absolute monster with that cultivation speed and strength, I don''t think even normal Qi refinement realm cultivators can contend against him right now. And he is just going to get stronger and stronger." Shen Yuxin smiled proudly as she also shared her thoughts, "He would be an absolute hegemon even in the Central Deste region with his current strength among the geniuses of the same level, there are only a very few geniuses who can contend with him at the same level. And every single one of them is an era defining genius." She paused as she looked at Shen Yuan and continued, "Even inside my n there are no such geniuses. I will take him back to the n when he reaches the same cultivation realms as those absolute geniuses." They continued chatting as Shen Yuan also reached the final bits of his breathing technique, with one final push he breathed in deeply and broke through to the Organ Vitalization realm. His strength grew exponentially, surpassing 50,000 tons. Normally without any enhancement, his strength should be around 27000 tons but he consumed a lot of system treasures and what his mother gave him. And even then he still hasn''t reached the peak of the Organ Vitalization realm as his strength could still grow another 5,000 to 10,000 tons. He stopped his breathing exercise and stood up, taking a deep breath he punched the air in front of him. Boom! There was a sonic boom resounding as his strength had really reached absurd levels in such a short time. He flexed his muscles a few more times. After checking out his strength, he went toward where his family was sitting. They were the same as before sitting there, drinking tea and eating snacks. He sat down grabbed a few snacks, and began speaking, "I have reached the Organ Vitalization realm but it seems I can''t break through no matter what I try. It''s like my body is adapting to my physique." Shen Yuxin nodded her head in understanding and answered back, "There is no need to worry about that Yuan''er, I have read about some geniuses in some ancient records, they also had some simr problems, after reaching the Organ Vitalization realm they couldn''t improve themselves no matter what they did." She paused here, looking at Shen Yuan''s expression if he was panicking or not, she nodded in approval as he didn''t even flinch at this news, so she continued, "Because of that they were treated like waste in the starting years of their life. This struggle also helped them to share their characters. When they reached the age of 18 and unlocked their true potential they all soared to the sky with a single leap. No other genius was able toe closer to their might and grandeur." "So, you don''t have to worry and just cultivate in peace, even if you didn''t improve at all even after you turn 18 we will find some way for you to advance." Shen Yuan nodded his head, understanding that she told him all this was due to his past life experience because these little struggles won''t make much of a difference to his character so might as well clear his doubts. And he knew that what she said was correct as he already knew about that from the system. They continued chatting while sipping on the tea. Time passed and when the night arrived Shen Yuan went to sleep with his mother. He hugged her to sleep as the night passed, after finishing breakfast, he went to the training field alone since Shen Yuxin had to leave for somewhere and Huo Rong and Bing Rong went to the city to buy home supplies. He stood at the center of the field all alone, having a feel of his strength, after confirming his current strength to be above 50,000 tons, he took out Essence Revitalization Flower from his system inventory, which he got from the quest and bought some from the Shop for when he broke through to his current realm. Essence Revitalization Flower: Description: A rare flower with revitalizing properties, its essence nourishes and strengthens the body''s organs, crucial for progress in the Organ Vitalization stage. He ate one and started practicing the breathing exercise to forge his organs. He continued training for a few hours until he felt that he couldn''t make any further progress in his current realm. He asked the system, "Show me my current status window." [Ding!] [Primordial Harem System] [Host: Shen Yuan] [Title: ] [Cultivation Base: Organ Vitalization ] [Bloodline: ???] [Physique- Saint-Rank Primal Harmony Physique (Primordial Rank Sealed)] [Talents- 1-High Level Comprehension] [Techniques- Chaos Body Forging Technique(1st Revolution)] [Chaos Coins-4600] [System Shop] [Inventory] [Rtionship] [Battle Power- 57,000 Tons] Chapter 38: 4 Years Later Shen Yuan looked through his stats and noticed there were a few differences from before, first, it was his talent tab, it now has another new talent, he asked the system, "What is this talent? High-Level Comprehension?" [As I stated before, host. As you cultivate, yourtent talents will awaken; this is only one of the starting ones. You will receive a major improvement when you finally break through to the Qi refinement realm.] Shen Yuan nodded his head in understanding as he finally learned why he didn''t have any talents even with his absurd potential. He then asked about the technique. "And what is this 1st Revolution after Chaos Body Refinement Technique?" [Ding!] [Due to the host reaching the Organ Vitalization realm the Chaos Body Refinement Technique has changed.] "Show me its details." [Chaos Body Refinement Technique: 1st Revolution] [Description: The Chaos Body Refinement Technique has reached a turning point for its practitioner''s cultivation. Unlike previous stages, where body parts were refined individually, now the entire body will be refined at once. With each sessful revolution, your body will get a minor enhancement ande closer to getting the Chaos Physique. But to truly attain the Chaos Physique, the host will need to absorb the Chaos Qi. After reaching a certain threshold, the host will achieve the False Chaos Body.] Shen Yuan''s eyes glowed in excitement as he read the description of the Chaos Body Refinement technique; he was expecting that he wouldn''t be able to improve and would have to waste over a decade just to wait for his constitution to mature. Now, he can finally cultivate again. He looked through his memory to see how he could cultivate those revolutions, which was nothing but a unique breathing technique and extremely intense training. He decided to achieve the first revolution as soon as possible so he could see his improvement and learn more about this technique. He took a deep breath and began his breathing exercise while also moving in strange angles to put pressure on his physique. ¡­ Time passed, and after 6 months of relentless cultivation, Shen Yuan finally felt that he was close to breaking through to the First Revolution; he was still in that same training ground, cultivating in it while Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong were standing farther away. Looking curiously at what he was doing. After all, he shouldn''t be able to improve after reaching the Organ Vitalization realm until he is 18 years of age, so they were expecting him to ck off in his training until he reached adulthood. Meanwhile, Shen Yuan was thinking about his cultivation, ''This is too slow; it''s been over 6 months, and I haven''t even broken through to the next revolution. I need to speed up if I want the Chaos Physique before I turn 18 years old.'' He clenched his fist as he took a deep breath and punched in front of him to release all his frustration. He felt a lot lighter after releasing that punch, but he realized that he had achieved the 1st Revolution after he calmed down. He looked at his hands, which were filled with energy, and he also felt stronger, even if by only a little bit. He smiled slightly as he felt happy that he finally broke through to the next realm. Just then the system spoke, [Host needs not worry; as you reach a higher level of revolution, your training intensity will be raised high, and the speed will also increase due to that.] Shen Yuan''s lips twitched as he thought inwardly, ''I don''t know if that is supposed to make me happier or more miserable.'' He shook his head and went towards his family. ¡­ 4 Years passed as Shen Yuan continued training with increasing intensity but he also took longer breaks than before due to the high-intensity training. He was already 11 years old, bing more and more handsome as he grew older. He was sitting in the library, reading about the various professions, and after he finished the catalog, he thought to himself, "All this seems so boring; I would rather train or spend time with my family than waste it on these professions. I will look for beautiful wives who will be expert alchemists, weaponsmiths, rune masters, etc." Just then, Huo Rong entered the library and overheard what he said; she smiled slyly and spoke, "Oh my Yuan''er, you are already thinking of adding more women to your harem when you don''t even have a single lover?'' She came in front of his desk and sat down on the opposite side of it. Shen Yuan was already used to getting teased all the time, so his skin had also grown thicker over the years. He replied while smiling slightly, "A man must have grand dreams, right?" Huo Rong pouted and spoke, "You are no fun anymore, where is my innocent and cute Yuan''er? He was such a good boy." Shen Yuan''s lips twitched as he said back, "You just want to see me embarrassed right?" Huo Rong pretended to be shocked, "Wha- How did you find that out??" Shen Yuan decided to just ignore her and focus on reading the next book about the alchemist profession; Huo Rong sat there in silence while staring intently at Shen Yuan; after a while, she suddenly asked, "Hey Yuan''er, what kind of physique do you have?" Shen Yuan replied without thinking, "I think my physique is oriented towards Dual Cultivation." Huo Rong''s eyes widened in surprise as she asked, "Are you sure about that Yuan''er? Are you 100% sure that what you have is a Dual Cultivation oriented physique?" She asked again to make sure what Shen Yuan said was true or not. Shen Yuan looked up and replied in confusion, "Yes, I''m pretty sure that I have a dual cultivation physique." Huo Rong looked at him seriously for a while and sighed, "Haah, why didn''t you tell us about it before Yuan''er?" Shen Yuan replied, "Because I was not sure if what I have is a dual cultivation physique or not." Chapter 39: 7 Years Passed Huo Rong slumped on the chair and spoke, "Do you know how big of a mess you are in right now, Yuan''er?" Shen Yuan''s eyes narrowed as he asked, "What do you mean by that?" "Do you know how many top-tier cultivators are after the possessors of Dual Cultivation physique owners to make them a dual cultivation cauldron?" She spoke in a heavy tone as if the end of the world wasing. Shen Yuan heaved a sigh of relief as he rxed, "Just that? I thought it was something serious. Those guys can''t do anything to me. I had already talked with Mom about my physique, and she said not to worry and that she would take care of all the older generation cultivators herself if someone dared to have ideas on me." Huo Rong''s sadness vanished all of a sudden, she looked at Shen Yuan and pouted, "You are really no fun anymore. Hmph!" She stood up and left to do some unfinished work, Shen Yuan just shook his head and continued reading in the library. ¡­ Nearly 7 years passed and Shen Yuan was about to be 18 years of age. He was now a fully grown adult, standing at a height of 180cm, with hair as dark as the starry sky and eyes as deep as the bottom of the sea. He was practicing his sword which he picked up in recent years. He was training without his robs with only his pants on. His well-built body was on full disy, radiating strength and charisma of a young master. Even higher realm cultivators can''tpare to his beauty. "Haah! Haah!" He continued training with his sword, shing at the metal puppets since the wooden puppets couldn''t handle his strength anymore, after all, even the strongest Wooden puppet was only able to withstand 50,000 tons of strength, which he had long surpassed. He sheathed his sword after he finished his training, he was all alone in the training hall, his mother went outside to deal with a few problems and Huo Rong and Bing Rong also went with her. "System, stats." He had also grown all too familiar with the system, almost conversing with it as his close friend and the system also became more humane. [Ding!] [Primordial Harem System] [Host: Shen Yuan] [Title: Charming Young Master] [Cultivation Base: Organ Vitalization ] [Bloodline: ???] [Physique- Saint-Rank Primal Harmony Physique (Primordial Rank Sealed)] [Talents- 1-High Level Comprehension] [Techniques- Chaos Body Refinement Technique(80th Revolution), Basic Sword Style, Mountain Smashing Fist, Falling Leaves sh, Wind Breaker Palm, Earth Cutting Saber, Flowing Water Spear, Lightfoot Technique...] [Chaos Coins-14000] [System Shop] [Inventory] [Rtionship] [Battle Power- 10,000,000 Tons] His strength had also grown too much after so long, that no one would believe that he had yet to break through to the Qi Refinement realm. "Hmm, I feel like I can still break through to the next level whenever I wish, it''s nearly time for me to break through to the Qi Refinement realm. I will break through to the 81st revolution tomorrow. I feel like it will be a significant leap in my abilities." He wore his robes back and walked out to take a bath and rest to prepare for the next day, it would be his 18th birthday and when he would reach the peak of the Chaos Body Refinement technique. He undressed himself andy down in the bathroom tub, rxing in the bath after training in that intensity, it wasn''t easy after all. He trained in a sword style and not in a particr technique to make his foundation perfect for the future, when he will learn Sword Techniques. He closed his eyes and meditated on his gains over thest few years, his bond grew with Huo Rong and Bing Rong, "Due to the pre-established idea of incest in this world, Sis Huo Rong and Sis Bing Rong have taken my advances quite nicely, I think they were just waiting for me to turn 18 after all those nights I slept with them." He reflected on his behavior with the two of them, thinking about all the time he spent building up for this movement. The warm water made him rxed as he feltfortable inside of it. While lying inside the tub he wondered what the future would hold for him. Would his rtionship with Huo Rong and Bing Rong change once he reached adulthood? What about his cultivation journey? Would he also be one of the hegemonies of this world? The path of dual cultivation was not an easy one, to excel in this not only do you need the necessary talent but you also need to have a shameless character. He was confident in both his talent and his character, after all, Huo Rong and Bing Rong trained along with system quests made his skin quite thick. After a while, Shen Yuan stood up from the tub, water flowing down his well-built physique, he grabbed the towel and dried himself with it. He grabbed his night robes and went towards his room. Hey down and didn''t meditate today since it will be a major day tomorrow. He wondered about Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong. He asked the system, "Hey system, should I tell them about you?" The system replied, [It is rmended that the host inform them about me, after all with the new upgrade of the system, I will be a major part of your lives.] "Hmm? Ah yes, you mentioned getting an update when I be 18 years old." [Ding!] [System will be offline for the next 48 hours! I hope the host can take care of himself in the meantime.] ¡­Shen Yuan sighed as he also felt his eyelids heavy as he fell asleep. ¡­ The morning of Shen Yuan''s 18th birthday dawned bright and clear. He woke up in a great mood, after all, he was going to break through to the long-awaited 81st Revolution level of the Chaos Body Refinement Technique. He quickly dressed himself in his simple white robes and headed towards the training room. The training room was still empty, just as he had expected since he was all alone. Perfect time for him to experiment with his cultivation technique. Chapter 40: Breakthrough He stood at the empty grasnd once again, he took out a milky white pill from his inventory as he looked at it. [Unknown-Grade Essence Cleansing Pills: Helps the user in transversing the revolution of Chaos Body Refinement Technique. Refined by the system to be specifically used by the host for cultivating the Chaos Body Refinement Technique.] "If it weren''t for this pill I would have taken decades toplete the Revolutions of this technique. The good thing is the effects be stronger as I take more pills, so after eating thousands of such pills, I should be able to reach the next level with only this single one." He ate it in one gulp. As he took a deep breath, he started his breathing exercise. Slowly he started to move, his muscles and tendons responding to the familiar movements that had be second nature to him after training in it for over a decade. As he continued his training, he felt the pressure building up in his body. Approaching the 81st Revolution of the Chaos Body Refinement Technique, he felt his excitement overflow as he ignored the monstrous pain that could make even a high-level cultivator whine in pain. He pushed himself past his limits and finally broke through to the 81st level of Chaos Body Refinement, he felt a surge of power changing his body at the sub-atomic level, changing every fiber of his being, making them stronger and grander than before. Increasing his potential to a new height, "Haah! Haah!" He panted as his body broke everywhere, his blood flowing freely as his body began generating new and purer blood, making even his bloodline stronger. He felt his body rapidly bing more powerful and his power condensing further. He decided to take this opportunity to break through directly to the Qi Refinement realm. He sat down cross-legged and began practicing the Basic Qi Gathering Technique that he learned for his awakening ceremony. He started to meditate and felt the qi in the surrounding world, while his body continued breaking and reforming itself. He didn''t even take 5 seconds before he was able to begin absorbing Qi from the surrounding atmosphere. At first, it was one wisp of qi at a time that he was absorbing, but his body began absorbing Qi as well to finish reforming his body, transforming it to be the most perfect vessel for cultivation as the body reforging began sucking the qi from the surrounding environment of the Mystique Realm. The devouring force became so strong that a qi vortex formed above his head, but it wasn''t like the one before where he only had a vortex due to his awakening, this time he was absorbing all the Qi and forging his body with it. The pain became hundred times worse than when he was practicing the Chaos Body Refinement technique, he clenched his teeth to endure it and focused all his will to absorb the Qi and direct it to his body. Washing his body with qi and gathering a bit of that purified gaseous qi in his dantian. 1st level of Qi Refinement Realm 2nd level of Qi Refinement Realm ¡­ He didn''t stop his breakthrough until the 5th level of Qi Refinement Realm as his breakthrough finally stopped and his body also became much stronger. He was still sitting on the grass but it was no longer green, it had long lost its original color to red due to all the blood Shen Yuan lost while reforging his Body. His body discharged a lot of impurities together with his blood. "Haah¡­ haah¡­ this shit hurt so bad." He cursed due to pain after finally catching his breath. He fell backward on the grass to take a moment of rest after finally surviving the ordeal, if his will wasn''t strong enough then the pain alone would have made him faint and he would have died due to qi deviation. He closed his eyes to rest for a moment but he opened them soon enough due to the unbearable stench from his body, "Ugh this stench is killing me." He stood up and ripped his tattered clothes aside and went towards the bathroom only in his pants. All the maids who saw him were horrified by how badly he was injured, but none dared toe forward and ask him about it, they simple bowed their heads. Shen Yuan was also toozy to tell them about it and decided to tell his mother and sisters when they came back. He opened the bathroom door and went inside, undressing and taking a shower before heading inside the tub to rest. He closed his eyes and finally fell asleep. ¡­ He didn''t wake up for a few hours due to how exhausted he was. He was woken up when Shen Yuxin came inside the bathroom, she looked at him and only then heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that not only was he not injured but his condition was better than ever. He had broken through to the 5th level of the Qi Refinement Realm in a single day. It would be a historical record if someone in the outside world knew about it. She lightly tapped his shoulder and said softly, "Wake up, Yuan''er, it''s already evening and you are still sleeping in the bathroom." "Yawn~," Shen Yuan slowly woke up with a yawn as he hadn''t expected that he would fall asleep in the bathroom, but it made sense after a bit more thought. Due to his exhaustion he was left drained of all his energy. He looked up and saw his mom standing there in a beautiful purple qipao, smiling gently at him. He felt his day brighten at her smile as he stood up and went to hug her, totally ignoring that he was still naked. This wasn''t the first time that he was doing it, he is used to taking baths with her from time to time since a young age. He didn''t train his shameless character in vain as he felt her soft breasts pressing against his chest. He breathed deeply in her fragrance and said, "Wee back mom, I missed you a lot while you were gone." Shen Yuxin smiled gently and patted his back, "Yes, Yes, I know. I''m back now, are you going to get out or are you nning to go back to sleep inside? Hehe~." She giggled at the end of her sentence. Shen Yuan left her and began drying himself with a towel, while speaking in an embarrassed tone, "Cough, sorry for making you wet mom, I was just too excited to see you after a few days." Chapter 41: Breakfast Shen Yuxin just shook her head and replied, "No worries, I can just change my clothes." She began stripping her clothes, slowly undressing her qipao as she revealed her milky white skin. Nearly making Shen Yuan drool. Underneath that qipao were 2 deep valleys and there were 2 pink peaches as well. Her breast looked as delicious as the first time Shen Yuan tasted them, he shook his head and began dressing himself in a white robe. Meanwhile, Shen Yuxin also dressed herself in afortable white robe. "Let''s go to the dining room now. Huo Rong and Bing Rong are already waiting for us there." She spoke to him and led the way forward. Shen Yuan followed after her as they engaged in small talk, but no one mentioned about Shen Yuan''s cultivation as they were waiting for the whole family to gather for that. Shen Yuxin opened the dining hall gate and entered, inside Huo Rong and Bing Rong were already sitting, looking the same as all those years back with not a single change except their more mature temperament. Huo Rong was the first one to jump from her seat and shouted excitedly as she saw Shen Yuan, "Yuan''er!!! I finally get to see you!" She rushed towards him and hugged him tightly, her breasts pressed against his chest, her sweet scent enveloping him, making him feel hot. He grabbed her waist and hugged her back, "It''s only been a few days, why are you acting as if months or years have passed?" He asked in an amused tone as he saw her actions. Huo Rong rubbed her cheeks against Shen Yuan''s face as if she were a kitten and replied, "It''s just that I missed you sooo much. And how did you be so strong all of a sudden?" Shen Yuan left her and replied while walking towards Bing Rong, "I will tell you this afternoon when we finish breakfast, I also need to tell you, guys, about something else, something much more important." Huo Rong''s eyes shed with curiosity while Shen Yuan stood in front of Bing Rong, now even taller than her as he asked her lightly with a gentle tone, "Did you miss me, sister Bing Rong?" Bing Rong smiled sweetly at his caring words and went forward to hug him while replying, "Of course, I missed my dear little brother." She hugged him and Shen Yuan once again felt what bliss was as he took full advantage of her hug and hugged her back tightly, Bing Rong spoke in his mind directly with her Divine Sense, "You naughty brother, stop it now or else Huo Rong will be jealous." Shen Yuanughed lightly as he left her and went to sit at the dining table. Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong also sat down in their respective seats. They began eating and chatting as theyughed and shared stories, Shen Yuxin also informed Shen Yuan, "Yuan''er, the reason I went out this time was to prepare a training ground for you. This time we won''t follow you inside that training area and you will have to depend on yourself so be careful and don''t hesitate to kill your enemies otherwise they might kill you instead" Shen Yuan remained silent as he didn''t agree nor disagree with her, because even though he had lived in this world for over 18 years, he had never killed a single soul before and even in his past life he had never done such a thing. Shen Yuxin also knew this that''s why she prepared this training ground for him- to harden his will and prepare him for the cruel world of cultivation, she filled it with demonic cultivators and criminals to forge Shen Yuan''s will and temper his temperament. Huo Rong and Bing Rong were also silently sitting at the side, not saying anything as they were the ones who helped Shen Yuxin prepare the training ground for Shen Yuan. They continued eating as Shen Yuan asked for more details but Shen Yuxin only revealed a few details without spoiling him with what to face inside. ¡­ After they finished eating the food Shen Yuan took them to his room, which he got when he was 12 years old, but he never slept alone in his room when his family was present in the mansion, one of the 3 or more always apanied him to sleep. He sat down on the bed and made all of them sit down on the bed as well, Shen Yuxin sat on his right and Bing Rong took the left seat, leaving Huo Rong to sit straight ahead of him. She pouted and spoke in an aggrieved tone, "You guys didn''t even leave any good spot for me," She didn''t wait for their replies and dived straight into Shen Yuan''s embrace, putting her head on hisp and spoke happily, "I don''t mind this ce as well." Shen Yuan shook his head helplessly as he pushed her up and spoke seriously, "What I''m about to say is serious so listen closely and be serious for once." Huo Rong sat up straight and looked straight at Shen Yuan when she heard the gravity in his voice, Shen Yuan nodded his head when he saw her finally taking it seriously. He began, "I know you guys wondered about where I got my cultivation technique from or how I got the treasures that are rare in the whole Eastern Deste Region. That''s what I want to tell you today. The secret behind my cultivation technique and the source of my treasures." He spoke in all seriousness as he finally decided to reveal the existence of the system to them because as the system said, it would be a major part of their lives after the system update finished. He wanted to prepare them now, so they''d be ready for the massive changes ahead. He wasn''t expecting them to ept the situation all at once since even the system was down at this point so he couldn''t ask it for some guidance. ''Sigh, I guess I will have to pull something outta my inner creative side again to exin the existence of the system.'' Chapter 42: The Truth Once everyone gotfortable while sitting, Shen Yuan began, "Actually, at the time of my reincarnation, I was reincarnated with a treasure that I activated when I became 7 during my awakening ceremony. It gives me lots of quests to do and rewards me for them. There is a shop as well from where I bought a lot of stuff which you see on me." He paused to look at their reaction and continued, "It has a spirit as well, but the spirit doesn''t have much sentience; it told me that it was going to be upgraded soon, and it will massively affect my life and those whose lives are connected with me." He got silent after he finished speaking, waiting for their reaction as he wondered how they would react, he wasn''t too worried now. After all, living with them for so long he knew them pretty well. Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong looked silently at Shen Yuan. After a while, Shen Yuxin was the first one to say, "Is it safe to talk about that, Shen Yuan?" Shen Yuan nodded his head and replied, "I already talked with it and it said it doesn''t affect itself as it is invincible." "Is it really so strong?" Shen Yuxin''s voice held a hint of suspicion as it sounded too far-fetched. She took a movement to consider the future implications of this situation. Shen Yuan shook his head slightly, "I''m pretty sure that it is strong beyond our imagination and it doesn''t have any harmful thoughts toward me otherwise it had too many chances to finish me off and I would have been powerless. It also gave me my cultivation technique through which my strength has far surpassed what I can imagine. I''m not even sure how strong I am right now." Huo Rong''s eyes sparkled as she asked, "Did you get your cultivation technique from that thing Shen Yuan? And how do you even address it?" "I call it the system since that''s what it is. As for my cultivation technique, it is called Chaos Body Forging Technique, and I indeed got it from the system." He replied softly. Huo Rong nodded her head and got silent when Bing Rong asked, "Can we talk with the system Shen Yuan?" "Not for now, since it is undergoing an upgrade. But you should be able to interact with it after the update since it will be a massive part of our lives." Bing Rong''s eyes sparkled in curiosity as she anticipated how it would be to talk with such a mysterious entity. Shen Yuxin then asked what was in the mind of both Bing Rong and Huo Rong as they were just about to ask about it. "What can you get from your system Yuan''er?" Shen Yuan replied after thinking for a moment, "The items avable on the system are random, I can get anything from a random stick for a tree to a Heavenly Physique or Bloodline, it''spletely random." All three women''s eyes widened in shock as they didn''t expect that it could even grant physique and bloodlines to Shen Yuan. Huo Rong asked, "Is that true Yuan''er? Have you bought any bloodline or physique from the system yet??" Shen Yuan smiled slightly looking at the excited Huo Rong and replied, "I haven''t bought any physique or bloodline yet because the current ones I have are already enough, and different boosts don''t matter much to me now. But I indeed got another Physique from the Chaos Body Refinement scripture." Shen Yuxin asked in a shocked tone, "You really got a physique from that system, Yuan''er?? What type of physique is it?" Shen Yuan replied helplessly, "I don''t know, Mom, I only know that it is called False Chaos Body. I don''t even know the rank of it due to the system being offline right now." Bing Rong then asked, "What about your Bloodline Yuan''er? Have you asked your system about it?" Shen Yuan lightly shook his head, "I have tried asking it but it always avoided my questions rting to my bloodline." They continued asking questions to Shen Yuan and Shen Yuan answered them one by one patiently after all he knew how curious they would be regarding it. ¡­ They talked till evening when they finally satisfied their curiosity. In the end, Shen Yuan asked, "Now, do you guys have any other questions? Because I wanted to ask where you went previously." Shen Yuxin replied softly, "That''s enough questions for now, as for where we went? It was to prepare a training ground for you." Shen Yuan tilted his head and asked, "What kind of training ground?" Shen Yuxin smiled mysteriously, "Hehe you will have to find that out yourself. I will send you there tomorrow and you will have to survive one whole week alone in that wilderness." Shen Yuan frowned slightly as he wondered what kind of training he would go through, "Alright, I can''t wait to see how it will go." Huo Rong and Bing Rong exchanged a nce as they both stood up at the same time and left for their respective rooms Shen Yuan was left alone with Shen Yuxin since they hadn''t seen each other for a few days both sisters decided to let Shen Yuan sleep with Shen Yuxin. "Alright, I will change clothes now, you should change them as well Yuan''er." After saying so, Shen Yuxin went behind the screen to change into her nightgown while Shen Yuan began changing his clothes right there. Changing his white robe to simple pants and shirt. Shen Yuxin walked out from the side of the screen, dressed in a revealing ck nightgown. Her long silky white hair cascaded down to her waist, her long legs were milky white as she was wearing a slit nightgown revealing her beautiful thighs perfectly. Just enough to arouse one but left more for imagination. There was a slight lipstick on her cherry lips which made her look even more seductive than usual. Shen Yuan felt blood rush to his head as he looked at his mother. He didn''t expect that she would wear such a sexy nightgown today. He looked at her shamelessly, which he had trained for over a decade. Chapter 43: Night After all, it wasn''t the first time that he had seen her like this, but each time he felt that he couldn''t have enough of seeing her. He went forward and asked, "What is the asion today Mom? Why are you dressed so¡­ seductively today." Shen Yuxin gave Shen Yuan a bewitching smile as she answered, "Well, my dear little son finally turned 18 in this life. I think a little birthday gift is in store for him." She moved forward a little and stood directly in front of Shen Yuan, her fragrance assaulting Shen Yuan''s senses as he took a deep breath. His heart sped up as he breathed in her fragrance, he felt a little light-headed as the next thing he knew he was already hugging her. "Alright let''s go to sleep now, it''s alreadyte." Shen Yuxin lightly patted his back and spoke in a gentle tone. Shen Yuan nodded and both of them went to bed together. He tightly hugged her and ced his head on her breasts, "This is my fav sleeping spot." He murmured while falling asleep. Shen Yuxin smiled gently, ruffling his hair as she also closed her eyes. ¡­ The next morning Shen Yuan woke up as he felt his face being squished by something soft, he opened his eyes to see his mother''s breast sandwiching his face in between them. He turned his face upward to see that Shen Yuxin was already awake and was looking directly at him. She smiled gently as she saw his face lifted from her breast. "Good morning Yuan''er, I hope you had afortable sleep." She spoke while pulling his face towards her to hug him again, Shen Yuan once again felt what he was feeling in his sleep. Those bouncy breasts were heavenly to feel as he just closed his eyes to enjoy the sensation. "Hmm, I had one of the best sleep in a while. How about you? Did you sleep well?" He asked her while his eyes were still closed, lost in his own world. "I had a wonderful sleep, Yuan''er. I always have a good sleep when I sleep together with you." She smiled softly as she finished speaking. There was silence for a while as Shen Yuxin spoke once again, "Alright, let''s go now, Huo Rong and Bing Rong should be waiting in the dining hall by now. We are alreadyte." She said helplessly as she saw that Shen Yuan was in no mood to leave her embrace. Even though it made her happy, she also knew they had to leave now, since today was the day when Shen Yuan would go for his training. It will be his first serious training where his life will be on the line. So, she had to make sure that he knew not to be careless. Lest he lose his life while chasing skirts. Shen Yuan reluctantly left her embrace and sat straight on the bed, he looked at his mother''s seductive figure. She was still wearing the ck nightgown, though it had be slightly disheveled as she slept. It fell of from her shoulder, nearly making her pink peaches visible to Shen Yuan in all their glory. He felt hot just thinking about them, Shen Yuxin noticed his gaze and smiled seductively, "What happened, Yuan''er? Are you alright?" She feigned being worried as she figured out where he was looking, she had nothing against that as she was also looking forward to that day since she saw her destiny with him. Shen Yuan hurriedly averted his gaze from her and spoke, "No-nothing mom, let''s leave and go to find sister Huo Rong and Bing Rong." He hurriedly left the bed and went to the bathroom to wash his face. Shen Yuxin smiled slyly as she was pleased that she made Shen Yuan flustered as it was getting harder and harder to get through his thick skin. She also stood up from the bed. She used her qi to wash herself clean with a snap of her fingers. She undressed herself as she let the nightgown fall down on the ground. She walked in the room naked towards her wardrobe. Even though it was Shen Yuan''s room, all three of them had their clothes in it. She got dressed in purple robes quickly and went back to sit on the bed. Waiting for Shen Yuan to get out. She looked towards the bed and remembered how she slept by hugging Shen Yuan for the whole night. Her cheeks flushed red as she felt that she got a little wet thinking about it. ''What is this feeling?? Why does he seem so irresistible now? Is it due to his physique? But it doesn''t seem like any outside force is affecting me. I can even perceive Yin and Yang energies of the world after all.'' She couldn''t find the reason for her sudden arousal as she meditated to calm herself down. After a while, Shen Yuan left the bathroom. Looking all freshened up in his white robes. He usually wore White or ck robes depending on his mood. "Let''s go mom, Big sisters will be waiting for us." He spoke lightly to wake her up from her meditation without agitating her. Shen Yuxin opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was the handsome face of Shen Yuan who was freshly out of the bathroom. She felt her heartbeat quicken but she still had aposed expression on her face. She stood up and spoke softly, "Alright let''s go Yuan''er." She walked in front of him. Shen Yuan followed from behind, looking at her delicious ass from time to time. Shen Yuxin noticed his gaze and it didn''t help her one bit to calm down. Both of them reached the gate of the dining hall and Shen Yuan pushed it open. Both Huo Rong and Bing Rong were standing inside waiting for them. They smiled sweetly when they saw Shen Yuan¡ªweing him and sitting down to eat. Shen Yuan loved to eat good food. For that Shen Yuxin especially looked through a lot of kingdoms and empires to get the best chef for him. Chapter 44: Training Begins They began eating while chatting. Shen Yuxin spoke to Shen Yuan, "Yuan''er, you need to remember that everyone on the trial ground will be your enemy. You can''t trust anyone no matter how trustworthy they look. Neither can you underestimate someone just from their looks. They might be waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike at your weak spot." She continued talking for a long time, advising Shen Yuan about all the things he would need to mind in the trials and in the future. Shen Yuan listened closely and memorized them so as not to forget what he was told. ¡­ After finishing breakfast, all of them left the manor as they were riding in a shop towards a particr location. But Shen Yuan couldn''t see anything as it was all a blur around him due to extreme speeds. Shen Yuan wondered if this is how traveling at light speed feels. Shen Yuan asked, "How far away is the ce that you mentioned, Mom?" Bing Rong instead replied with a smile, "It isn''t that far away Yuan''er, it is around a few hundred million km away, we will be there in a few minutes." Shen Yuan''s eyes widened in shock as he remembered quite clearly that the size of the Earth in his previous life was merely around 13000 km. He didn''t expect that to just reach another ce inside the Eastern Deste Region he would have to travel a few hundred million miles. "Are these just barrennds below or are there people living?" Shen Yuan asked curiously as he didn''t know what to make of such a gigantic-sized region except that it was all barren. But Shen Yuxin broke his fantasies as she replied, "No, most of the regions are already popted with different races, the only ces that are barren in the Eastern Deste Region are those ces which have little to no qi due to some reason. Otherwise, most ces are already upied by Sects or ns etc." Shen Yuan nodded his head but inwardly he couldn''t fathom the sheer poption of merely this region, it must be in Quadrillions at least. Huo Rong and Bing Rong were also there sitting and chatting about various topics, they also shared a few things with Shen Yuan about his training. The one thing they emphasized the most was to not fall into a beauty trap. Shen Yuan shook his head as he assured them that it wouldn''t happen. Even though the two of them were not sure about his ims they could only let go and see how his training would fair. Shen Yuan remembered a pretty important detail that he had missed asking before, "What is the highest level of cultivation inside these training grounds, Mom?" Shen Yuxin gave him a slightly evil smile, "The lowest level of cultivation inside is the Foundation Establishment realm, and there are even a few Inner Sea realm cultivators inside. Oh I forgot to mention but there are Spirit Beasts as well inside the wilderness." Shen Yuan nodded his head confidently as he was sure that he could fight and defeat most foundation establishment realm cultivators and beast, even against Inner Sea realm cultivators he could put up a good fight. He decided to meditate for a while until they reached their destination. But just as he closed his eyes, Shen Yuxin spoke, "No need to meditate now, Yuan''er, we are already here." He opened his eyes as he didn''t expect that they would reach this ce so soon, he didn''t even have time to meditate a little. The flying ship slowed down, and after a while, Shen Yuan was finally able to make out the scene outside. It was a vast jungle for as long as the eyes could see. He didn''t expect that it would really just be a jungle. ''I should have expected this much from how Mom addressed this ce as Wilderness.'' Shen Yuxin parked the ship outside the jungle, she spoke to Shen Yuan while still standing on the ship, "You don''t have to go too deep inside the wilderness Yuan''er, I have already erected a boundary for your training ground. Everyone inside is a vile criminal or some weaker Sect''s disciples who helped me to gather these criminals. There are beasts inside as well so beware of them and use them as you wish." "You asked for weaker Sects around this area to gather these criminals?" Shen Yuan asked in amazement at his mom''s power. "Indeed, I also rewarded some of those sects with Qi stones and other treasures." Shen Yuan nodded as he understood that Qi stones were the hard currency of the cultivation world, so it wasn''t that hard to understand why those sects chose to ept them. Even without the rewards, they will have to help Shen Yuxin due to her absolute might in this region. Though Shen Yuan didn''t know about this yet. Shen Yuan looked into the jungle and it gave him an eerie vibe, as if a snake was hiding inside, waiting to attack him. Shen Yuxin noticed his mood but chose not toment as it was something he himself would have to ovee. Shen Yuan grabbed the sword hanging on his waist, feeling rather energetic to train himself inside the training ground. It wasn''t an amazing treasure or anything like that, it was one of the swords from his collection of different swords. It didn''t even have a name, just a nameless sword without any impressive background, Shen Yuan chose this to increase the intensity of his training. Otherwise, he can wipe out everyone inside the jungle with the might of his swords alone. Huo Rong and Bing Rong also stepped down from the ship and came towards Shen Yuan. Huo Rong leaped in his embrace and hugged him tightly. He hugged her back to feel her supple body in his grasp. "Take care of yourself and don''t forget what we told you inside the ship." She gave a light peck on his cheeks to encourage him. She stepped back and let Bing Rong hug him. She also kissed his cheek and said, "Be sure to return early, we all will be waiting for you here." Shen Yuan hugged her back as well and then took his leave after saying his farewell. With a sword in his right hand, he began his path to supremacy. Chapter 45: First Battle Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong all went up the ship and looked Shen Yuan''s back. Huo Rong asked, "Will he be able to have his first kill here? What do you think, Master?" She asked this question because she knew Shen Yuan''s history, she knew it would be hard for him to change his mindset without an extreme encounter. After all, he lived in his previous life as a normal mortal for over 20 years. "He will be able to do it. If he wants to survive in this cruel world then it is a necessity to be able to kill one''s enemies without a shred of mercy." Huo Rong and Bing Rong agreed with her as they nodded their heads. Shen Yuxin waved her hand and took out a big mirror. It started floating in front of the three of them, it reflected the image of Shen Yuan who was still walking towards the jungle. "With this, we can monitor his condition, but we won''t interfere until he is really about to die. After all, we can''t really let him die, he can learn about this slowly." Shen Yuxin spoke as she looked at the mirror, Huo Rong and Bing Rong also looked at the mirror and beganmenting on random things. ¡­ Shen Yuan entered the forest slowly, inside he could only see tall trees and grass everywhere. The asional sighting of insects and small animals also made him cautious. "The majority of the techniques that I learned are low-level, I haven''t practiced much with the higher level techniques, I only know 2-3 high-level techniques and even those are not properly mastered. But even using those half-assed techniques will be too much for these beasts and criminals." He thought for a second as he continued, "I shouldn''t use them otherwise, it will be child''s y to finish off all these beasts, I will only use Basic Sword styles to fight until I am in this training zone." He thought to himself, as he didn''t just want to have a walk here for fun, he needed some actual life-threatening battles to hone himself. "But my physical strength alone makes me nearly invincible in Qi Refinement Realm and Foundation Establishment Realm, even Inner Sea realm cultivators might not be my match." He thought for a long time and finally decided to seal his own physical strength, he used a strange acupuncture technique, sealing 78-80% of his strength. "Phew, now only Mom can unlock this seal for me or when I''m in a life-threatening battle." He nodded as he didn''t want to cheat so he made the seal stronger than what he could unlock. Since it was his first time in the outside world he was wary of everything. He went deeper and faced his first opponent. The Silver Fur Wolf is a formidable beast in the 4th level of the Foundation Establishment realm. It mainly uses its sharp ws as a weapon and its fur as its shield. It was one of the mostmon monsters in this part of the forest. Shen Yuan looked intently at the Wolf''s movement, grabbing his sword tightly and preparing for any sudden attack. He was expecting the wolf to attack him as soon as it saw him, but it was taking its time to make the situation more advantageous for him. As it seems like it was an experienced hunter, it didn''t jump straight to fight with its prey, it was first a battle of mental fortitude. Whoever struck first will be at a disadvantage. While Shen Yuan didn''t know all of this stuff, he wasn''t nning to stay still and let the wolf intimidate him. He utilized his body efficiently and sprinted forward. Since he recently broke through to the Qi Refinement Realm he didn''t have time to learn any technique for himself. So he can only make do with Basic Swordmanship and his movement technique which wasn''t even a proper technique as this was what he learned while training himself. He unsheathed his sword as soon as he was 5 meters away from the wolf, the wolf lowered its body to prepare for a charge. It jumped towards Shen Yuan with its razor-sharp ws shining with a bloodthirsty light. Shen Yuan evaded its ws and tried to pierce its skin with his sword. But it wasn''t able to even make the wolf bleed. Shen Yuan jumped back, ''Why the hell is this beast''s fur so tough, my sword can''t even pierce it.'' He looked towards its sword and after seeing its simple look, he decided to move the qi from his dantian to the sword, coating the de of the sword with a thinyer of qi to make it much more sharper. "Let''s see if your skin can withstand my qi-infused attacks as well." Shen Yuan activated his basic sword style but with qi this time, until now he was fighting without using his qi. Shen Yuan grabbed the sword with both hands, but this time he didn''t budge a single inch from the spot, waiting for the wolf to strike first. "Grrr¡­" The wolf made a growling noise as it sprinted toward Shen Yuan. It used its ws to stick again, but Shen Yuan parried the attack with his Sword. "ng!" Sparks flew everywhere as the sword withstood the Wolf''s attack, Shen Yuan''s physical strength was already higher than the Wolf''s, all he was missing was a good weapon. Now that he had coated it in qi, he decided to make the best use of it. He tried to move forward but the Wolf''s tail struck his right side, sending him flying backwards. "Fuck! It can use its tail as a weapon as well?" Shen Yuan cursed as it didn''t expect to be blown away by the Wolf''s tail. But he was injured by the attack as it was already more powerful than the wolf. Now he knew its attack pattern and its weapons. This time he sprinted towards the wolf. Sliding to the right to dodge the ws. He pierced the wolf at its neck, cleanly making a hole in it. The Wolf''s body slumped down on the ground, its blood making the ground red. Shen Yuan didn''t bother with the loot as he deemed it too inferior, he couldn''t even make a decent pill with it. He reflected on his battle with the wolf, he made some mistakes but he also learned from them. The whole purpose of this trip was to train himself. "Good start, I can already see my shorings, it is my damn experience, due to my low Cultivation base I wasn''t allowed to fight outside so I have next to no life-and-death experience. I will have to fight until I can''t fight anymore to improve." He made ns on how to move forward as he was also looking forward to what kind of disciples he would meet in the training ground. Will they be the arrogant young master type? Or will they be the sect''s top disciples? He couldn''t wait to find that out. He continued his journey through the forest, he also fought with more beasts, all of them ranging from the Qi Refinement realm to the 6th-level Foundation Establishment realm. He took care of Qi refinement beasts with a single swing of his sword, same with all those below 4th level Foundation Establishment realm. He chose to train with the 5th-level Foundation Establishment realm beast and above. But he couldn''t find them so soon, since all beasts had their own territories. So most of his time was wasted on traveling. Chapter 46: Morning He continued fighting and traveling till evening, he found a spacious area near a waterfall, and he decided to spend the night there. He took out his tent and made a fire, he already had all of that ready in his storage ring. He sat down on a chair and began preparing food for himself. He learned to cook food in his previous life but he also trained his cooking skills in this life with Spirit beast meat. He took out the high-quality spirit beast meat from his spirit ring and began cooking it. After a few minutes, a delicious aroma started spreading from his camping site, the spirit meat he cooked releasing such a delicious aroma that it spread to the surrounding area, attracting some small beasts. Shen Yuan decided to ignore them, as even if they tried to attack him they couldn''t go past his defense. He pulled out a piece of meat from the pot and started eating it. He looked around and saw a few small animals gathered a few meters away from him, he thought for a second and decided to throw arge piece of meat towards them. He pulled out thergest piece of meat, around a few meters in size, and threw it towards the group of small animals, they all became startled to see somethinging towards them. They scattered here and there to hide away from Shen Yuan, who didn''t do anything next and continued to eat his food in peace. After a while, all the small animals gathered together to check out what that human threw towards them. But before they could do anything, a strong aroma wafted towards them, capturing all their attention. They moved towards the piece of meat and started eating it without thinking if it was a trap or not. Shen Yuan smiled slightly looking at their reaction and quickly finished his food to return back to his tent to rest. ¡­ Morning Sun rose high in the sky as Shen Yuan also woke up with a yawn. "Yawnn¡­haah, it''s morning already, today I will try to see if I can find the Sect disciples." Shen Yuan muttered to himself softly as he looked outside his tent to the rising sun. He decided to practice his swordsmanship for a bit in the morning. He packed his tent and stored it in his storage ring, he then looked towards the waterfall and he changed his n to practice swordsmanship for now. He went near the waterfall and undressed himself, he took a deep breath and jumped into the waterfall to take a bath. "Haah, natural baths are still the best, I will try to convince Mom and Sisters to try it with me sometime." He thought with a wicked grin on his face. He washed himself clean and theny down in the waterfall to rx for a moment by closing his eyes. Time passed and after some time he left the waterfall and got dressed. He picked up his sword and began his basic training, he was already used to doing that every day. So, he didn''t miss it today as well. He trained for two hours and left to look for new opponents or someone interesting. ¡­ He fought with a few beasts along the way until he found a pair of cultivators engaging in fighting against a level 8 Foundation Establishment realm spirit beast. One of them was a male wearing blue robes with a saber and the other was a pretty woman wearing pink robes with a short sword. They were fighting against a panther type beast, who was taking advantage of its agility to toy with the both of them. But both of them were also not weak as they both were at level 7 Foundation Establishment realm. The male cultivator was using his saber to spearhead the attack and the female cultivator was attacking from the side from time to time to damage the panther. Shen Yuan looked at them for a few seconds and decided to intervene when he found the opportunity tond a lethal strike. The leopard was just about to jump toward the pair of cultivators when Shen Yuan struck at the stomach of the beast. He was aiming for the beast''s neck but the panther avoided it with his sharp instincts. The panther roared as it jumped back to make some distance between Shen Yuan and the pair of cultivators. Both of them looked towards Shen Yuan vigntly as the sight of that sword strike really made them nervous. If it was aimed at them then they would have already died over ten Times. But they didn''t freeze for long as the malecultivator spoke, "Thanks for lending a hand Fellow Daoist, might I be so bold to ask for your name? I am Han Ming from Saber Mountain Sect." Han Ming politely introduced himself while asking for Shen Yuan''s origin to see if he was from the demonic path or not. The female cultivator also chimed in, "I''m from the Lotus Valley Sect, my name is Li Yu." She looked at Shen Yuan and blushed slightly at his handsome figure. Shen Yuan ignored the weird reaction from the girl and observed the both of them closely, even though they weren''t able to sense Shen Yuan''s cultivation due to his absurd strength, he was able to look at them as if they were open books. Both of them were at the 7th level of the Foundation Establishment realm but Han Ming''s power level was a notch above Li Yu. Shen Yuan replied, "My name is Yang Kai, I''m a vagrant cultivator." He didn''t deem it worth his efforts to expose his true identity before figuring out their backgrounds. Both of them felt that he wasn''t telling the truth but they could do nothing but take it with a grain of salt. Shen Yuan ignored both of their suspicious gazes as he looked towards the panther who had also calmed down and was looking at the three of them, "Han Ming, you will attack from the front and Li Yu, you look for opportunities to strike when it isn''t paying attention to you while I will look for an opportunity to finish it off with a single strike, I missed the first time but I won''t miss again." Shen Yuan spoke confidently. Chapter 47: New Friends Han Ming nodded his head as if it weren''t for Shen Yuan''s help they would both have died in the ws of this beast. Han Ming sprinted towards the panther and swung his saber in a big arc to attack the center of the panther''s head. The panther swiped its ws on the iing saber and reflected it to the side. Just as the beast tried to jump forward to bite the head of Han Ming, Li Yu jumped from the back and swiped her short sword on the stomach of the panther, making it bleed a little but not fatal enough. Shen Yuan didn''t budge an inch as he knew it wasn''t yet time to attack, he was still waiting for that slight chance to kill the panther in one strike. Han Ming pushed himself further as he continued hacking at the panther, which continued to parry the attacks as it swiped its ws left and right. He was exerting himself fully to keep the beast upied, he fought for another 100 rounds and finally managed to strike the panther''s back. Li Yu also took this opportunity to strike the panther''s right eye, making it blind from one side. Shen Yuan unsheathed his sword and struck at the neck of the panther, cleanly slicing it off. "Huuf, huuf¡­" Han Ming took deep breaths as he finally had a chance to rest. He dropped to the ground from exhaustion as he spoke, "If you hadn''t attacked the beast just now then I might very well have died from exhaustion, Brother Yang. You really took your sweet time to take that strike." At the end of his words, his voice held a slightly using tone. Shen Yuan shrugged and replied, "I struck when I waspletely sure that I could finish it off in one strike, that''s why I took so long so the beast could forget about me and I could have a chance to kill it in one strike." Li Yu''s eyes glowed with admiration as she spoke, "Wow, I didn''t know Brother Yang was so thoughtful and even strong." The word admiration was practically written on her face. Shen Yuan also felt good to be praised by a beauty as he replied, "Haha you don''t have to worry, as long as you guys are following me I can take care of you." He patted his chest, as he promised to take care of them in the heat of the movement. Han Ming stood up and coupled his fists together, "Thanks for your help just now Brother Yang, this Han won''t forget this favor. For now, I will follow Brother Yang to learn about the ways of the world." Shen Yuan nodded his head while smiling slightly, "By the way, are you guys from the same sect or what? How did you even meet?" Han Ming scratched his cheeks as he replied, "Well I met her when she was surrounded by some spirit beasts and I helped her out, since then we have been traveling together to look out for each other." Shen Yuan looked towards Li Yu for confirmation, "Yes, what Brother Han Ming said is correct, I was fighting against a pack of the One Horned Wolves which ambushed me. So I really have to thank him for saving my life." Shen Yuan didn''t ask further as he changed the topic and asked, "So, what are you guys going to do now?" Han Ming pointed towards the beast''s corpse, "We will extract the useful part of this beast for Sect points, and its core as well for alchemy, Of course, we will split it evenly." Shen Yuan''s eyes twitched, ''Wait wait, these corpses are valuable? And what is this core about? Why didn''t Mom or Sisters mention it? It was not eve- wait I didn''t even read books about beasts because they looked ugly. Sigh, I need to read them up after this training session.'' Shen Yuan''s face remained unperturbed outside as he didn''t even as much as blink his eyes, he looked cool as he said, "You guys can split it among yourself, I''m not in need of this low-grade stuff." Han Ming and Li Yu looked at him in confusion as Han Ming suspiciously asked, "Weren''t you a vagrant cultivation, Brother Yang?" Shen Yuan nearly cursed inside his mind as he had to now pay the price to pretend in front of a beauty. He quickly thought of an excuse as he replied, "Yes I need resources but you both were already fighting this beast before I got here, and I only struck once so it doesn''t feel right to take an equal amount." Shen Yuan felt good inside toe up with such a good excuse in such a situation. Han Ming and Li Yu''s eyes softened as they now looked at Shen Yuan in a new light, not expecting him to be so magnanimous. Li Yu put together her hand and said, "I can''t believe you are such an awesome guy Brother Yang, but we can''t take advantage of your kindness, just let us divide the beast into equal parts for the three of us." Han Ming also nodded, "What she said is true Brother Yuan, we can''t let you take this loss, and if it weren''t for you, we both might have died already." Shen Yuan didn''t expect his excuse to work wonders, he didn''t reject it this time or else it might seem suspicious, "Alright, if you guys insist." They cut up the beast''s corpse equally and Shen Yuan ended up with the most precious part of the Beast''s body, its inner core which formed inside the Foundation Establishment realm and above the beasts. Shen Yuan didn''t ask further and just put it away in his spatial ring. Han Ming and Li Yu also had spirit rings but their spirit rings were of really low quality, they didn''t even have 15 cubic meters of space inside. Shen Yuan and others went to look for more opportunities to get stronger, after all, there were not only Criminals and Spirit Beast but spirit herbs and treasures of heaven and earth as well. Chapter 48: Spar If a sect disciple got their hand on one of those treasures then he would soar to heaven in one step. But they didn''t find any such thing as they fought with different beasts while improving themselves, Shen Yuan was the one who improved the most as he continued improving by utilizing his sword technique and movement technique. Both were basic things that could be bought at a roadside stall, but when Shen Yuan was performing them, it seemed like a work of art. Time passed as evening came and Shen Yuan, Han Ming, and Li Yu sat around a campsite, Li Yu and Shen Yuan were sitting together on one side and Han Ming on another side. All three of them had grown closer while fighting with their lives on the line, Li Yu looked toward Shen Yuan as she spoke, "I didn''t expect Brother Yang to be so understanding, you not only helped me and Brother Han Ming thought out the day you even told us about various treasures and herbs." Her eyes were practically glowing with adoration as she was acting like a fan girl. Han Ming also spoke emotionally, "I really didn''t expect to find such a good friend outside my sect brother Yang, it''s really this Han''s fortune to make a friend such as you, let me toast this wine to you." He took out a Spirit Wine that he was saving to curry favor with his Senior brothers back in the sect, he put it into three sses and shared it with Li Yu and Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan looked at the sses for a movement and said, "Actually, my real name is not Yang Kai, it''s Shen Yuan. I didn''t want to expose my real identity since it might beplicatedter. I hope you two can understand." Li Yu''s eyes widened in surprise while Han Ming nodded his head as if he expected it. "It''s not your fault Brother Yuan, it''s always good to be cautious when you are outside your sect." Han Ming spoke to lighten the mood. Shen Yuan shook his head again, "I don''t belong to any sect." This time, Han Ming''s eyes widened in surprise as he asked, "Does that mean you are really a vagrant cultivator Brother Yuan??" Shen Yuan thought for a second and replied, "Well you can say so, after all, I don''t even have a master." Han Ming''s eyes filled with admiration as he spoke, "It''s really praiseworthy that you could reach such heights at your young age without the help of any sect. If you were in one of our sects then you will most definitely be one of the Core Disciples." Shen Yuan shrugged as if he didn''t care and changed the subject, "What are your ns for the future?" Li Yu replied, "I will follow Brother Yuan to learn from him." She smiled shyly as her cute face went beet red when she spoke about going to follow Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan really wanted to pinch her cheeks cause of her cuteness but he controlled himself. Han Ming then spoke, "I will follow Brother Yuan as well and pay this life debt, you didn''t only save me a single time but multiple times throughout the day." Shen Yuan looked at the both of them and smiled proudly to have acquired two loyal followers in this single training session, even if they were a little weak he could still make them stronger with his mother''s treasures. They continued chatting and eating. After a while they all entered their respective tents, Shen Yuany down on the bed and he closed his eyes to rest, just then the system''s voice sounded. [Ding!] [It''s detected that the host is undergoing training, to not affect his progress the system will be offline until the host finishes his training.] "This fucker!!" Shen Yuan cursed loudly as he didn''t expect the system to turn out to be useless. He was looking forward to its upgrades as well. "Looks like I need to finish this training soon to check out what surprise this will give me. This better be worth the wait." Shen Yuan went to sleep angrily. ¡­ The morning sun rose again as Shen Yuan woke up, he yawned as he stood up. He went outside the tent to see that Han Ming was already up and training, "How long have you been training for Han Ming??" He asked lightly as he walked towards him. "I just woke up, Brother Yuan, I haven''t been training for long." He replied as he wielded his saber with which he was training. Shen Yuan unsheathed his sword as he smiled slightly, "Let''s spar. I want to train as well." Han Ming excitedly nodded his head. He readied his stance as he grabbed his saber with both hands. Shen Yuan also got in his stance as he wielded his sword with both hands. They both looked at each other as they began the sparring at once. Li Yu also got out at that time, silently looking at the training. She smiled slyly as she walked towards them and sat down on the side to watch the match. Both Shen Yuan and Han Ming had already fought for over 300 rounds, Shen Yuan was still alright but Han Ming was already sweating, just as he lost his bnce a little, Shen Yuan pped his saber away with a palm strike and put his sword on his throat. "Alright, that''s enough for training." He spoke as he sheathed his sword. Han Ming dropped to the ground as he breathed arduously. "Haah¡­haah Brother Yuan, you are really something else. You managed tost this long without breaking a sweat." Shen Yuan smiled slightly as he put a hand on his nose and said, "You stink, now go and take a bath in the waterfall." He pointed towards the waterfall which was a bit far away. Han Ming scratched the back of his head as he stood up and went towards the waterfall whileughing lightly. Chapter 49: Cave Shen Yuan just shook his head as he was thinking about what to do today, suddenly he smelled a sweet fragrance as he looked to the side to see Li Yu standing on the side with her hands behind her back and leaning towards Shen Yuan. She said, "You have such strong stamina Brother Yuan, yousted so long." She had a sly smile on her face when she said that. Shen Yuan''s lips twitched as he didn''t expect her to be so shameless that as soon as Han Ming left She started hitting on him. He also replied back, "Of course my stamina is good, I specifically trained for this after all." They continued chatting and sometimes making lewd jokes as the day turned and they began hunting monsters again. They fought a few monsters, one of which was even in the peak-level Foundation Establishment realm. Even though Shen Yuan was stronger than the beast, due to his insufficient experience in dealing with such beasts and self-restrictions, he couldn''t defeat it alone. All three of them had to fight side by side to be able to kill that Horned Tiger. He was using his horn as a sharp sword to contend with their weapons. But ultimately he still died at their hands. They shared the loot and after finishing killing them off they started thinking about where to head next. Just then Li Yu spoke, "I think I was here before, I was looking for a heaven and earth treasure here in this area since I got clues that it was here, but then I was chased away by that would pack and its leader sends some minions to finish me off." Shen Yuan looked all around to see if anything remotely close to heaven and earth treasure was here. But unsurprisingly there was no such thing in his view. But he still chose to believe in his only cute follower. He followed her as she walked in front to clear the way for Shen Yuan and Han Ming. "It''s just up ahead in that case," She pointed towards a cave at the bottom of a mountain after getting out of the forest. Shen Yuan and Han Ming looked at each other and nodded as they went in the front and began walking towards the cave entrance. Han Ming said, "We will walk in front and you take care of the back, Li Yu." Shen Yuan also nodded in agreement, unsheathing his sword and walking at the front. They walked inside the cave, it was dark at first but after walking a bit further, there was a special type of grass emitting light in the cave, illuminating it beautifully. Li Yu looked around and asked aloud, "Wow, this grass is so pretty, I wonder what it is called?" At the end, her face had a puzzling expression on her face. Shen Yuan replied, with a knowledgeable look on his face, "They have a simple name, Night Illuminating grass, it is often found in caves. Put it is pretty much useless other than being helpful to illuminate the darkness, but it''s also peculiar as it is found only in this area of the entire Eastern Deste Region." Li Yu looked towards Shen Yuan with admiration, "Wow, Brother Yuan really knows everything." Shen Yuan scratched the back of his head as he replied, "It''s not that I know everything, I just studied about this area a bit beforeing." Han Ming spoke with a hint of admiration in his voice, "It''s still impressive to study so much before going on a mission, I only studied about the beasts and various treasures of heaven and earth. I didn''t even spare any time to learn about such small things." Shen Yuan smiled lightly as he replied, "My memory is pretty good, so I can remember most things I read." Even though he was pretty calm on the surface he was pretty smug inside, though he didn''t show any of that. They continued walking further in the cavern to look for opportunities. They came across a few beasts but they were all weak, mostly in the 1st or 2nd level of the Foundation Establishment realm. Han Ming made short work of them and continued, they also found a few herbs but all of them were of low quality. Shen Yuan asked with a hint of suspicion in his voice, "Strange¡­ we haven''t found any signs of heaven and earth treasures; heck we didn''t even find any good herbs. Even the beasts are pathetically weak here." Han Ming nodded his head in agreement, "That''s what I''m thinking as well brother Yuan, it''s really too strange, even if we didn''t find any treasure of Heaven and Earth, we should at least be able to find some good herbs, but it''s like someone already ransacked this ce." Both of them looked towards Li Yu as Han Ming asked, "Are you sure this was the ce where you found the heaven and earth treasure?" Li Yu nodded her head quickly, "This was the ce where I found it, I think maybe someone else came after me here." Shen Yuan and Han Ming could only take her words at face value, they asked a few more questions to her and then continued walking deeper into the cave. They came to a spacious opening at the end of the cave, it was filled with Night Illuminating Grass, there was a hut in the center of the spacious area. Shen Yuan and Han Ming looked at each other and went forward to check it. Shen Yuan was in front of him as they walked towards the hut. He pushed open the door, and SWOOSH, a weird green fog flowed out, Shen Yuan held his breath and swung his hand to swipe away all the fog. The fog was dispersed as he looked inside, but it was empty with not even a bug inside. Shen Yuan frowned as he looked back to see Li Yu was still standing at the entrance of the open area. Chapter 50: Change of Heart Shen Yuan shouted at her, "Hey,e over here. What are you still doing there?" Li Yu gave him a cute smile as she opened her mouth to say, "Got you." BOOM!! An explosion erupted as the cave''s wall was destroyed and arrows shot toward Shen Yuan and Han Ming. Both of them wielded their weapons and defended themselves as Shen Yuan angrily asked, "What the hell is happening here??" To which he got no reply as Han Ming was busy keeping himself alive. Shen Yuan looked towards him and saw an arrow flying towards his blind spot. He took out a dagger from his storage ring and threw it to deflect the arrow Han Ming''s eyes widened as he saw the attack being deflected. He would have been a goner if not for Shen Yuan''s help. He cast a grateful gaze towards Shen Yuan who only nodded his head and continued deflecting the arrows. He then remembered that he had forgotten someone as he looked towards the cave''s entrance, where Li Yu was still standing. But the strange thing was not a single arrow was aimed at her. Shen Yuan''s mind churned as he thought of various possibilities, but he refused to believe any of them as he screamed towards her, "Help Han Ming, Li Yu. He won''t be able tost for much longer." Li Yu''s eyes revealed coldness as she didn''t even reply to Shen Yuan''s questions. She merely stood there and saw the struggle of Han Ming and Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan felt his back turn cold at this sudden betrayal as he didn''t expect that one of the first friends he made in the outside world would betray him. Shen Yuan felt anger surging in him as he used Falling Leaf sh and shed straight forward and deflected all the arrows flying towards him. All the arrows soon ceased firing at them, and Shen Yuan soon noticed that Han Ming was injured by arrows, with one struck in his ribs and another at his back. Shen Yuan hurriedly walked towards him and pulled out the arrows, in fear of them being poisoned. "Ughh..." Han Ming grunted as he felt the pain, he breathed heavily while hurriedly eating a healing pill. "Thanks, Brot-" Before Han Ming could finish saying his thanks, Shen Yuan silenced him with a gesture as he said, "We have bigger problems to deal with than just thanking me." He pointed to the outer area where the arrows wereing from as they saw that a lot of people were gathering together. Shen Yuan narrowed his eyes as he realized that they were the so-called criminals his Mom warned him about. He wasn''t expecting them to create a trap for sect disciples by joining forces. "I didn''t expect Miss Li Yu to bring two prey together to us." One of the men spoke after stepping up, he was a bald man with a ferocious face, and there were scars all over his body, probably from fighting for years. His cultivation was also impressively at the 9th level Foundation Establishment realm. "I will fight with the saber wielder, you all finish off the one with the sword, and be careful he is strong. Don''t die a worthless death." She spoke ruthlessly as she rushed towards Han Ming. All her cuteness was gone from her face, only bone-chilling cold was left. Shen Yuan tried to stop her, but others jumped him. There were 25-30 people in total. The majority of them were in the early levels of the Foundation Establishment realm, while a few were in the mid-levels of the Foundation Establishment realm, and only 3 were in the High-level Foundation Establishment realm cultivators. Shen Yuan was going to face all of them at once. He didn''t have any time to spare as he cast onest nce full of encouragement to Han Ming and shouted, "Hold her back until I''m finished with these guys." He sprinted towards the bald man after encouraging Han Ming. He unsheathed his sword and swung it in arge arc by utilizing his saber technique Earth Cutting Saber, attacking the head of the bald man. "Take this, you Baldy." He shouted as he pressed his sword further down. He had practiced that technique enough times that he could now use it even without a saber. But its might was obviously weaker than using it with a saber. ''System, withdraw a higher-level sword from my inventory.'' He spoke to the system in his mind, ordering it to withdraw a higher-tier weapon so he could fight more easily. But the system did not respond and remained silent. ''Fuck! I can''t even withdraw a higher-level weapon from my inventory?'' he cursed in his mind, but he knew the system was doing it for the sake of his training. The bald man felt his face twitch as he defended against Shen Yuan''s attack. He shouted back, "Let''s use the formation to match our powers and kill this little bastard!" His voice was full of anger as he couldn''t let that slide. The other two high-tier Foundation Establishment realm cultivators also joined in, one of them using a sword and the other a saber. All 3 of them fighting together with a formation as this powered them further, reaching infinitely close to the power level of a Inner Sea Realm Cultivator, but the chasm between both realm was not something which can be transverse with a mere formation. The other weaker cultivators shot arrows from a distance, looking for an opportunity. Shen Yuan had to defend against all of their attacks simultaneously using his various techniques and fight back. He was still able to fight toe to toe with them due to his formidable stamina and various techniques but he didn''t know for how long he couldst. He tried to think of various strategies but couldn''te up with anything. He decided to stop overthinking and focus on finishing off his current opponents. He attacked the bald guy from various angles while defending against the attacks of both high-level cultivators, as well as the rest of the cultivators. He finally found an opportunity tond a solid strike on the bald guy''s shoulder. He swung his sword from the right utilizing his Falling Leaf Strike, striking the bald guy''s shoulder and making him break out in a cold sweat as he lost his bnce. Shen Yuan aimed his sword at his neck and moved to finish him off, but he froze at thest second as he realized that the person he was about to kill wasn''t a beast or a puppet but a real, breathing human being. Chapter 51: Change of Heart II But that was the window of opportunity the other bandits had been waiting for, as they disregarded the safety of the bald guy and swung their sword and saber at the vital parts of Shen Yuan''s body. Both aimed for his heart and neck. Shen Yuan swung his sword back to deflect the enemy''s sword and mmed his palm into the saber''s side with the help of Wind Breaker Palm to push it away. He jumped back as he regained his bnce. The bald man spoke through gritted teeth, "Attack this little brat. He is just some sheltered n bastard." Shen Yuan felt his anger rising, but it was not directed at the bandits or even at Li Yu, who had betrayed him. It was directed at himself, at his weakness¡ªthat he couldn''t even finish off his opponent, even with the opportunity presented in front of him. His eyes darkened as he looked at Baldy. He gripped his sword tightly and decided to fight again. He decided to go for the swordsman on the other side since it would be easier to deal with his swordsmanship. After all, Shen Yuan was better at wielding swords than mere criminals. He swung his sword at the blind spot of the swordsman, but the other saber user interfered and blocked the strike. "Tsk!" Shen Yuan pulled his sword back and punched the saber wielder in the gut by using Mountain Smashing Fist. "Gah!" The saber wielder broke out in cold sweat as he took six steps back and felt pain in his guts. But the other guys didn''t stop to ask about his well-being and instead went to attack Shen Yuan. The scar-faced Baldy swung his saber with full strength, but this time, Shen Yuan used his palm to rotate the trajectory of the de as it swung to the right,pletely missing him. He shed again, and this time, the bald man''s left shoulder was struck. But Shen Yuan still couldn''t deliver the decisive blow. Just then, Han Ming''s voice sounded from a distance, "Aughh." His left hand was cleanly sliced off by Li Yu, while he clutched it as it bled heavily. Shen Yuan didn''t expect Han Ming to get injured so soon, but it made sense, as Han Ming was already exhausted from surviving the arrows and had been injured by them. Shen Yuan sprinted towards him, while the other saber wielder tried to stop him. Shen Yuan utilized Flowing Water sh with his sword without even looking and sent the saber wielder reeling back three steps. Shen Yuan reached Han Ming''s position and saw that Li Yu was cautiously watching him. After all, he had survived against a whole group of cultivators alone for so long and there were even formation users in that bunch. Shen Yuan didn''t bother to look at her further. Instead, he looked at Han Ming and asked, "How are you now? Can you still fight?" Han Ming nodded resolutely while still sweating due to pain, "Don''t worry, Brother Yuan, this little injury can''t stop me." Shen Yuan nodded back. "Good, we will leave this ce alive." ''I should have asked for a way to contact Mom or my sisters,'' he thought to himself regretfully. But since he couldn''t do anything about it, he didn''t dwell on it and turned to face Li Yu. Just as he turned around, an arrow flew from a corner of the spacious area. Shen Yuan didn''t notice it at first, and when he did, it was already toote. "BROTHER YUAN!!" Han Ming screamed as he jumped in front of the arrow to stop it. The arrow prated deep into Han Ming''s body, rupturing his organs from the impact. Shen Yuan''s eyes widened in shock as he hurriedly went forward to catch Han Ming''s body. Han Ming copsed into Shen Yuan''s arms, blood running down his body as the arrow nearly prated through to the other side. He wasn''t able to live for even a second, as his heart had been ruptured by the shock. Shen Yuan sat there in shock, looking down at Han Ming. Just then, footsteps sounded as a lean, middle-aged man with a bow and arrows approached. "Tsk, you are quite the lucky fellow, aren''t ya? You survived my arrow even when you weren''t paying attention." The middle-aged man''s voice was filled with contempt as he looked at Shen Yuan. "You did good work bringing these two here, little Li Yu. These two look like they came from wealthy sects." He then looked at Li Yu with approval as he finished speaking. She nodded and smiled lightly. "Thanks for your praise, Father." She kept her sentence short and didn''t speak further, coldly looking toward Shen Yuan while ignoring the now-dead Han Ming. Shen Yuan stood frozen on the spot, staring nkly at Han Ming''s lifeless body. A tremor started deep within his existence, a sharp pain shot through his chest as he felt his vision blur for a second. The air around him grew heavy and oppressive. The ground beneath his feet ruptured due to the sheer wild and untamed power released from his body. The criminals knees trembled in his presence, making them break out in cold sweat. Their eyes widened in terror as they felt their knees bending due to the sheer oppressive might of Shen Yuan The seal he had ced on himself came undone due to his unstable emotions. The high-level swordsman''s eyes filled with terror as he spoke, "This pressure isparable to Leader Li''s, right? Even though he is in the middle level of the Inner Sea realm, this brat can match his pressure." The others gulped audibly as they stepped back and gathered together with Leader Li, who had a solemn expression on his face. But to not show weakness, he spoke, "No need to worry about him, he doesn''t have any killing aura. He is a greenhorn who has never killed anyone before." He reassured himself and his underlings. He was feeling the pressure; he knew the uing fight wouldn''t be easy. ''Li Yu, oh Li Yu, where did you find this little monster?'' He didn''t say anything outwardly as they all silently watched Shen Yuan rise. His face clouded with darkness as he felt only rage¡ªnot toward anyone else, but toward himself, for his foolish decision to ce that seal on himself. He gripped his sword tightly as he swore to himself as his gaze became cold and resolute, "I won''t ever hesitate. No matter who stands against me, they will die, no matter the cost. I won''t lose another person close to me." Everyone felt a chill run down their spines as they saw the abyssal look in his eyes. Shen Yuan felt his bloodline resonating within him, making his blood boil. He finally found something with which his bloodline resonated: Hunger, a boundless hunger to devour everything and stand above all. To surpass everything so far that no other being could stand tall in front of him. Chapter 52: Slaughter Leader Li also trembled slightly, his palm sweating a bit, but then he felt his anger surge as he realized that he got scared by a mere brat. He shook his head slightly and roared, raising his bow above his head, "Puny tricks! You can''t win against me brat!" He charged forward alone to show that he wasn''t scared of a mere brat, even though his palms were sweating due to nervousness. The other criminals looked at each other and also picked up their bows to go and fight Shen Yuan. The 3 high-level cultivators, The swordsman, the saber wielder, and the bald man didn''t move an inch but took out bows from their inventory, while the bald man screamed, "Attack him together with the leader! We will provide backup from here and shoot him with our bows." He raised his bow to show his confidence, while other weaker criminals also got a bit more courage and took out their short-range weapons, swords, spears, sabers, daggers, maces, halberds, etc. They all rushed towards Shen Yuan, who put Han Ming''s body down on the ground and stood still with a sword in his hand, staring closely at all of the ones who were responsible for the death of his one true friend. He didn''t speak a word and began rushing towards the criminals on the opposite side of Leader Li, ''I need to deal with the rest of these lowlifes before going after him, else they will keep interfering with me.'' Leader Li''s eyes widened in anger as he saw Shen Yuan going after his underlings while ignoring him. However, he also heaved a sigh of relief internally, as this proved that Shen Yuan still wasn''t his opponent since he was running from him. He reached the first man holding a mace, who couldn''t react in time as Shen Yuan closed the distance. The man''s eyes widened in fear as thest thing he saw was a gust of wind before Shen Yuan decapitated him, making the earth spin beneath him.. His head spun in the air while his body dropped where he stood. Ending his worthless life. He didn''t stop there, continuing toward the next targets. Two men had been running toward him but were now frozen in ce, shivering to their core from what they had just witnessed. Their eyes filled with terror as they saw Shen Yuane in front of them. He pulled out another sword from his inventory, grabbing it tightly as he dual-wielded both des, swung them upside down, and cut the both of them in two together with their weapons. His qi was much more stronger than them now, so it was pretty easy to slice off their weapons, with his kill his eyes color changed slightly, bing red as his body absorbed the killing aura. But he didn''t stop and continued killing the criminals as if cutting down the grass, all the whole Leader Li chased after him, but couldn''t catch up with Shen Yuan who was using multiple different movement techniques to evade him as well as chasing after the running bandits. The bald man and the other two criminals were sweating hard as they saw the massacre happening in front of them. Even after shooting a lot of arrows, none of them hit Shen Yuan. Because he was running all the time while evading all the attacks, none of their attacks hit him yet. They dropped their bows and got back in their formation to prepare for an attack since Shen Yuan was nearly finished with all the small fish. Shen Yuan was breathing hard, even tho he finished off everyone it still took a toll on his psyche, he was covered in blood from head to toe, but none of the blood was his own. He raised his head slightly as his eyes were blood red at this point, he stared straight at the bald man and others, who were standing together with Leader Li and Li Yu. Leader Li''s face flushed with anger as he couldn''t do anything while Shen Yuan exterminated all of his underlings single-handedly. He trembled slightly as he pointed his broad sword and roared, "I will kill you! You fucking bastard!" Even though he was screaming loudly, he didn''t take a step forward as he was afraid that he would kill the rest of his underlings. Even though the remaining underlings were weak, they were still more useful alive than dead. So he could only remain in the same ce and wait for him to attack, while the others didn''t have the courage to move towards Shen Yuan on his own. Even Li Yu''s face was pale from fear, shivering slightly as felt her knees weaken from fear and regret, she grimaced as she thought, ''If I knew he was this powerful I wouldn''t have betrayed him and stayed by his side instead, I-'' she couldn''t even think straight under the pressure of Shen Yuan''s cold gaze. Shen Yuan continued staring closely at the bunch of people with his red eyes, his eyespletely red as his mind was empty, the only thought in his mind was to finish off the people who killed Han Ming. He slowly started walking towards Leader Li, since he was in front of all the others, it would be pretty hard to finish them off before his interference. So he decided to fight head-on. Leader Li''s muscles tensed as he focused intently on Shen Yuan, watching his every movement for a w to exploit. He gripped his broadsword tightly as Shen Yuan came within 100 meters of him. Shen Yuan stomped his foot on the ground and jumped towards Leader Li with his Dual Swords, Leader Li''s eyes widened as he swung his broad sword down with full force. Trying to cut Shen Yuan in two with sheer strength. But Shen Yuan cleverly used the Flowing Water Sword Technique with one of his swords to change the direction of the sword and struck the neck of Leader Li. Chapter 53: Slaughter II But thanks to his sharp instincts, Leader Li avoided the fatal blow, though his shoulder was still pierced by the sword. He frowned slightly in pain but continued thinking of countermeasures. "Attack this bastard! Now!" he shouted hurriedly to his underlings, who picked up their bows again and started shooting Qi-infused arrows toward Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan frowned lightly as he swung his sword towards Leader Li, forcing him to take a step back. He then used his movement technique to vanish from the spot like a gust of wind. He appeared a few meters away and started running after the three criminals, but Leader Li blocked his path, stomping his foot on the ground while swinging his sword in arge arc from right to left. "Take this, you brat!" Shen Yuan knew it would be next to impossible to stop this attack with his basic swords, so he dodged it by jumping backward. But that was the movement Leader Li had been waiting for. He let go of his sword and took out his bow from his ring, taking aim at Shen Yuan and shooting in one swift motion. Shen Yuan didn''t even have time to respond before he saw a blinding light heading his way. He crossed both of his swords in front of his chest, and just then the arrows hit him, sending him flying for a good few kilometers. He struck the cave walls at the end of the spacious area, breaking them apart and causing cracks everywhere. Leader Li, Li Yu, and the others held their breath as they watched in anticipation, their eyes filled with hope that the cursed bastard was buried dead now. Li Yu''s face regained color as she put a hand on her chest and heaved a sigh of relief after seeing that Shen Yuan hadn''t emerged after a while. The three Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators also sighed in relief as they noticed Shen Yuan wasn''ting out. Only Leader Li had a solemn look on his face as he spoke, "Don''t be careless. It isn''t that easy to finish off someone so strong, and I don''t think I even managed to severely injure him." As soon as he finished speaking, the rocks where Shen Yuan was buried started shaking and cracking. Shen Yuan''s hand emerged from the hole, and he grabbed the broken stones, pulling himself out of the rubble. He picked up his swords again, inspecting them to see if they were broken. Thankfully, both swords were intact. He began walking towards the group again, his eyes glowing with a dim red color as he started sprinting forward. Leader Li''s back was drenched in cold sweat as he saw that Shen Yuan wasn''t even injured by his ultimate attack, even though it was done in a hurry and wasn''t even one-fourth as strong as it should have been at its peak. The three underlings paled further, their hands shaking as they held their bows. The scar-faced guy spoke, shivering slightly, "Even the leader''s full-power attack wasn''t able to affect him. C-can w-we win against this monster?" The other two were shocked and speechless, not even having the courage to speak against Shen Yuan. Leader Li started shooting from his bow again, this time releasing consecutive shots instead of one powerful blow. But Shen Yuan used his movement technique to evade them as he continued running toward him. Leader Li felt his hand tremble as Shen Yuan got closer. He dropped his bow and picked up his greatsword again. ''I need to use my trump card now, or else this beast will definitely kill me!'' He hurriedly took out a pill from his ring, but he hesitated to eat it, knowing the consequences were not good. He gritted his teeth as his eyes became firm, and he gulped the pill down. "Ahhh," he groaned as he felt his energy surge, his cultivation skyrocketing from the 5th level Inner Sea Realm to the 8th level Inner Sea Realm, causing his body to bulge from the overwhelming pressure. He took deep breaths to calm his raging Qi, staring straight at Shen Yuan with bloodshot eyes as his blood rushed madly throughout his body. He roared, forgetting all about his underlings and even his daughter standing behind him. He sprinted forward, going head-to-head with Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan''s eyes turned cold as he saw the enemy leader''s power surge higher. He put away his dual swords and brought out a huge greatsword, knowing that with his dual swords, he couldn''t fight an opponent of equal strength head-on. And he didn''t want to win against him with tricks. He swung his sword toward Leader Li to sh with his sword head-on. Leader Li''s anger surged as he saw that the brat dared to change weapons and fight against him with a greatsword. "You dare underestimate me and use a secondary weapon?!" he cursed as he swung his greatsword with full strength as well. BOOM!! A shockwave was released from their attacks as wind gushed here and there, and cracks formed on the ground. Both of them didn''t move a step back as they found themselves evenly matched. But neither of them focused too much on this and continued swinging their swords, shing from various angles as they tried to hit each other. But both parties struck each other''s swords repeatedly. At this point, the other gang members didn''t even dare to interfere since the battle was far out of their league. They quietly stood in a corner and watched as their leader fought Shen Yuan. They didn''t even have the courage to stand straight in front of Shen Yuan due to his overwhelming pressure. Shen Yuan and Leader Li increased their battle intensity as the ground around them began breaking in all directions. The ground was already soaked with blood due to Shen Yuan''s relentless ughter. Deep ravines were forming due to their sh, destroying all the Night Illuminating Grass that was growing inside the spacious area. There was even a faint sound of water flowing. Chapter 54: Contemplation After battling through a wave of criminals and finally facing Leader Li, Shen Yuan felt his body taking its toll. He knew he had to end it quickly, or else things might turn ugly. His eyes narrowed as he saw an opportunity when Leader Li made a mistake due to overexertion. He swung his greatsword with all his might, cutting open Leader Li''s ribcage. ''Ughh,'' Leader Li grunted as he stumbled back a few steps. His eyes regained a bit of rity due to pain as he realized that even after going berserk for so long, he hadn''t managed to put a dent in Shen Yuan. He gritted his teeth, his eyes turned red from craziness. "Ahhhhh, I will fucking kill you!!!" He roared at the top of his lungs as he began burning his blood, his strength rising as he reached the peak of the Inner Sea realm. Shen Yuan''s eyes turned solemn as he felt the overwhelming pressure radiating from Leader Li. He sheathed his greatsword, knowing brute force alone wouldn''t be enough to fight him head-on. He took out his dual swords again because he was the best with swords. He trained for the majority of his childhood with long swords. He gripped them tightly, recalling a technique he had learned before. It was a higher-level technique than his body could currently handle, so he had been reluctant to use it. But now, he decided to use it first and worry about the consequencester. He took a deep breath and sheathed one sword, leaving himself with just a single de, as the technique required a single sword for maximum potential. He began gathering the Qi from the environment into his sword, even drawing on his own Qi reserves. ''Heaven and Earth Severance: First Form-Mountain Cleaving!'' He softy muttered the technique name in his mind as he raised the sword above his head and brought it down with full force. An unbelievable amount of Qi began releasing from his sword as a sword beam was released from his sword with a hint of indescribable intent behind it. Leader Li didn''t even have time to react before the beam reached him. All he could do was raise his greatsword in a futile attempt to block the attack. But both he and his saber were cleanly sliced in half. The sword strike continued, ying the other criminals as well. The ground shattered along the sword''s path, revealing a raging river below. Everyone except Shen Yuan was swept into the flowing river, leaving Shen Yuan''s exhausted body and Han Ming''s lifeless form behind. Shen Yuan stumbled forward as he nearly dropped to the ground due to overexertion. He quickly took out a few pills and swallowed them, then sat down in a meditative stance to heal his injuries and recover his stamina. "..." He stayed silent while meditating as he was lost in his thoughts of loss. The only true friend he made during his journey in this training grounds died while he couldn''t even protect him. He contemted for a long time while sitting there. ¡­ After a while, his injuries healed as he slowly opened his eyes. His eyes turned back to normal but still had a hint of red in them. But something else had also disappeared from his eyes, the hint of naivety that he had before. His eyes were now more calm and deep. He heaved a sigh as he stood up. He looked around to see the cavern, which was filled with Night Illuminating Grass before was now barren all over the ce, deep crevices were everywhere due to his fight against the criminals. There was a ravine in the center where the hit used to be as well, where a raging river was flowing, he looked at the river for a moment. As he stood there, his thoughts drifted to the lives he had taken. He had killed a human being for the first time today¡ªnot just one, but many. The weight of those deaths weighed heavily on his heart. His mind reyed the moments before each strike, the fleeting hesitation that had gued him. What if he hadn''t hesitated? Could he have saved Han Ming? "Sigh, they deserve death for standing in my way." Shen Yuan muttered to himself in a low voice, trying to justify his actions. "I shouldn''t have hesitated when I had the chance before. Maybe if I hadn''t hesitated h-" Shen Yuan got silent as he spoke up to here. The what-ifs and maybes gnawed at his mind. Finally, he just shook his head to dispel these thoughts, With a heavy heart, Shen Yuan turned and walked toward Han Ming''s lifeless body. "System, can he be revived?" He asked the System in a voice tinged with sadness, even though he knew it wouldn''t answer him, as it didn''t answer him even when his life was in danger. [His soul has already left his body, and due to some restrictions I cannot exert my powers on the reincarnation river of this ne, the host is advised to bury him right here and look for his reincarnation in the future.] The words hit Shen Yuan like a blow, and for a moment, he could only stare at Han Ming''s lifeless form. Then, with a glimmer of hope, he asked, "Is it possible to find his reincarnation in this world??" He couldn''t wait for the system to answer, even forgetting to curse it for not responding earlier in his grief. [It''s nearly impossible with the host''s current power.] Shen Yuan''s heart sank, but he forced himself to remainposed. He couldn''t allow despair to take root. Instead, he turned his grief into resolve. If there was even a sliver of a chance, he would pursue it. Han Ming deserved that much. Even though they only met for a short while, he was his first true friend in this world. He might have been a simpleton who sacrificed his life for him but nheless, he would still won''t give up this hope. He looked at Han Ming''s lifeless body, "I hope you find a good family in your next life," Shen Yuan whispered lightly, "I will surely look for you in this life." He sped his hands together and lightly bowed his head in prayer, silently vowing to fulfill his promise. He stayed like that for several minutes, paying his respects, and letting the reality of Han Ming''s death sink in. Finally, Shen Yuan began digging a grave with a shovel that he took out from his storage ring. He finished digging a hole, covering Han Ming''s body with a white cloth, andid him down inside. As he stood over the grave, preparing to cover it, something caught his eye., Han Ming''s hand slid off the white cloth, revealing his storage ring. "Ah, I forgot about this. Maybe I can find his rtives and return the storage ring to them." He gently took off the storage ring and put it in his pocket. After sorting his thoughts he began burying Han Ming''s body. Chapter 55: Outside As Shen Yuan left the cave, he looked at the scorching sun above his head. He put his hand above his eyes and saw the sun. "Why does the sun of this world look different from my previous world?" he wondered as he began walking in a random direction. He didn''t meet anyone, and a few weaker beasts ran away when they saw his blood-soaked figure. Shen Yuan noticed this as well, so he began looking for a water source to wash himself off. He found a river and undressed himself. His robes were already in tatters due to all the fighting he had done, so he threw them away and jumped into the river. He swam for a little while and then rxed. He closed his eyes to enjoy the peace he felt after fighting such an intense battle. He slowly fell asleep as all the exhaustion caught up to him. ¡­ Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong, who had been watching the whole thing, were silent for a good while. Bing Rong spoke first as she saw the serious faces of Shen Yuxin and Huo Rong. "It was really close. I really thought we would have to interfere when that bandit began burning his blood essence. What was that technique that Shen Yuan used?" Shen Yuxin nodded her head and replied, "En, he would have really been in trouble if not for the technique that he got from the system. I don''t know the name since Shen Yuan said that he would tell me after mastering the first level, but from what I have seen, it is a gradeless technique. It doesn''t fall under Mortal, Spirit, Earth, Heaven, or Divine." She paused for a second as she noticed that both Huo Rong and Bing Rong were listening closely. "A person can use these techniques as long as their bodies can withstand the strain, and the power of the technique will just get higher and higher as the cultivation of a person increases further. "Shen Yuan was able to exert somewhere between Spirit and Earth-level technique power with his current cultivation level using that technique. It''s really impressive how he was able to ovee the limitations of the technique and fight against someone much stronger." Huo Rong and Bing Rong''s eyes sparkled with pride and joy as they heard Shen Yuxin''s exnation of Shen Yuan''s technique. Huo Rong said, "I can''t wait to see how powerful Shen Yuan will get in the future since Physique, Bloodline, and other talents show their true might at higher levels." They continued chatting while watching Shen Yuan as he searched for a ce to bathe. When he found the spot and got undressed, all three of them felt their cheeks growing hot as Huo Rong muttered, "Why is he bing more irresistible with each passing day?" Bing Rong also nodded her head shyly in agreement, her face red as she muttered, "It''s the same for me. We have never even gotten a good kiss from him. I heard from the mansion maids about how others do it. I even asked a few of my followers to get some dual cultivation scriptures from Dual Cultivation sects to study." Huo Rong''s eyes widened as she asked in a loud voice, "What?? You''re reading those lewd books?? The ones with weird positions?? Have you no shame??" Bing Rong lowered her head in embarrassment but felt something was amiss as she remembered what she had said. She abruptly raised her head and stared straight at Huo Rong, questioning her, "How do you know they have weird positions? Or that they''re lewd? You damn fox!! You''ve been reading them behind my back??" Huo Rong''s face turned beet red as she identally exposed herself. She stuttered, "Wh-what are yo-you even talking about??? I''ve done no such thing! Don''t use me of things I haven''t done." They continued bickering for a while until Shen Yuxin, who was intently watching Shen Yuan swimming, spoke. "Be silent, both of you. You''re interrupting me. Enough fighting¡ªhand over all the dual cultivation books you have. I will confiscate them." She stood up and walked toward them, holding out her hand for the books. Huo Rong and Bing Rong looked at each other, feeling like crying, but they could only oblige in front of their master. They started taking out the books one by one: one, two, four, six¡­ The books formed a small mountain after a while. Shen Yuxin felt her eye twitch after looking at the massive pile of books. She looked at both of them, who were looking in different directions and whistling. "How much money did you burn buying all this stuff?" she asked, feeling like punching both of them. Huo Rong and Bing Rong hurriedly shook their heads as they pleaded, "No, wait, Master. We didn''t spend a single coin on these books. We killed a few young masters and young mistresses of Dual Cultivation sects when they tried to take advantage of us, and we found them all in their storage rings." Bing Rong nodded her head in agreement but couldn''t speak, as Huo Rong had already said what she wanted to. Shen Yuxin put away the huge pile of books and said, "I will take care of youter. Get ready for a good spanking. If I don''t punish you both, you''ll really go wild." Both Huo Rong and Bing Rong put their hands on their bubbly butts as they remembered how Shen Yuxin used to punish them before. ¡­ Shen Yuan woke up after a few hours of sleep. He looked up and saw that the sun was soon going to set. He left the river and took out a blue robe to wear. He tied up his hair and ced a long sword at his waist. He began walking aimlessly, looking for a new goal, as he had already aplished what he hade here to do. "Ahh," he heard a scream from some distance away. He looked up and contemted for a second before rushing toward the sound. After going through some bushes, he saw a criminal slicing a sect disciple in half, killing him on the spot. Chapter 56: Leaving The bandit had just finished killing off the disciples when Shen Yuan came out of the bushes. The bandit sharply turned towards Shen Yuan, looking at him warily, but he rxed when he saw that Shen Yuan was only a brat as well, who came here for the experience. "Hey, you bra-" Before he could finish his sentence, Shen Yuan shed his head off with a single sword strike. "Even Foundation Establishment trash dare to speak in front of me?" Shen Yuan didn''t spare him a nce as he looked at the lifeless bodies of the sect disciples. He ignored them and continued walking forward. "The main mission of this training event is already done, I don''t know what I am supposed to do now." He spoke to himself slowly, trying to sort out his thoughts. "Should I call off the training and leave? Or find something else to do? I can also look for Han Ming''s sect to see if he has any rtives. But I can also directly go to his sectter." He was confused as to what to do next. Meanwhile, he continued walking forward aimlessly. He fought with a few monsters and bandits but he finished them off cleanly, as they were at most at the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm or Early Inner Sea Realm. He collected a lot of storage rings as well as herbs and natural treasures from the training ground. "Did my mom arrange all these for me?" A slight smile finally returned to his face when he thought about his mother. His eyes had gained a bit more red than before from all the killing, and it was increasing his urge for ughter as well. He was able to control himself with his strong willpower so there was no major issue in the short term. "I need to find a solution for this, or else this might be problematicter on." He made a decision to seek out his mother after he left the training ground. "Is it even worth it to fight in this yground anymore? I think Mom might have underestimated my strength a bit too much. Even she wouldn''t expect me to be able to fight against Peak Inner Sea Realm Cultivators as a Qi Refining Realm cultivator after all." He spoke with a hint of pride in his voice. He decided to end his training early and began walking towards the exit of the forest. He met up with a lot of sect disciples, whom he decided to ignore as he wasn''t in the mood to make friends. Soon, after running through the forest for a long time, he reached the end of the forest. There were a lot of people gathered outside, looking a bit anxious or smug. "Looks like these are the guys from the Sects, ns, Academies, or other Alliances. They should be waiting for their juniors inside." Shen Yuan looked at all the different ships gathered outside with lots and lots of different Sect symbols on them. He tried to look for Han Ming''s sect but since he didn''t know what his symbol looked like he couldn''t find it. Shen Yuan shook his head slightly and headed toward his Mother''s ship, which was parked on one side. There was no other ship parked even remotely close to Shen Yuxin''s ship, everyone was staying at a respectful distance. Shen Yuan got near the ship unobstructed. Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong flew down from the ship, they already knew he wasing out and the reason why. Shen Yuxin walked forward and hugged Shen Yuan, patting his back as she spoke, "You did do a good job, Shen Yuan. You did even better than I expected. And your battle powers are off the charts." Her voice became a little excited at the end. Shen Yuan already put away his swords inside his storage ring. He raised his hands and hugged her tightly, "I''m back, Mom." He only spoke a short sentence and continued hugging her tightly, Shen Yuxin smiled softly looking at him, and patted his back. "Wee back." She spoke softly to him. Huo Rong and Bing Rong were standing behind Shen Yuxin, smiling gently while looking at their small moment. After a while Shen Yuan left Shen Yuxin''s embrace, looking a lot better than before as he went towards Huo Rong and Bing Rong and hugged them both tightly. "I missed you both a lot these past few days." He didn''t speak anything more and enjoyed their gentle embrace. Huo Rong and Bing Rong smiled slightly as they patted his back. They hadn''t expected Shen Yuan to be so affectionate after being gone for such a short time. ''Looks like the death of Han Ming had more of an effect on him than we thought, even though it has been a short while, he is clearly more open with his feelings towards us than before.'' Shen Yuxin spoke to Huo Rong and Bing Rong through her Divine Sense. Transmitting her voice to both of their minds. Huo Rong and Bing Rong slightly opened their eyes from the enjoyment, ''I think not being able to protect someone close to him is the major reason for his change rather than just Han Ming. He might be thinking (Could I have protected my family if they were in ce of Han Ming?) or something along those lines.'' Huo Rong replied to Shen Yuxin. ''I think what Huo Rong said is correct, Master. Shen Yuan wouldn''t have been so affected if it was only the death of a friend who he made only a few days ago, the major reason should be his inability to protect a person close to him'' Bing Rong spoke up in agreement. They all got silent for a while as Shen Yuan finally left together with his family towards the ship. None of the cultivators around dared to approach her ship. Because they felt a chill on their backs when they saw it, as if it were a beast lying in wait to devour them whole. Chapter 57: System Return Shen Yuan, Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong were all sitting on the ship as it was traveling back toward the mansion. They were sitting on a table in one of the rooms, which was decorated simply with only the necessary furniture and arge bed. Huo Rong and Bing Rong looked like they wanted to ask something, but were hesitating. Shen Yuan looked towards them and smiled slightly, "What do you want to ask me? Just ask. I will answer no matter what." Huo Rong and Bing Rong looked at each other for a moment, Huo Rong took a deep breath and asked tentatively, "How do you feel about the death of Han Ming, Yuan''er?" She asked it lightly as if afraid to hurt him further. Shen Yuan got silent as he contemted for a bit as if looking for an answer, "He wouldn''t have died if I didn''t hesitate back then. It was my mistake that he died, I am responsible for his death, and I will make up with him, either by looking for his rtives or will finding his reincarnation to recover his memories." All threedies in the room nodded their heads in approval, their eyes filled with pride at his mature response. He wasn''t whining but actively looking for a solution to what mistake he made. He also learned to kill and not be affected afterward. Shen Yuan got silent after replying to them, staring silently at the window, contemting something. After a while, Bing Rong asked him in confusion, "But how will you look for his reincarnation? I don''t think you can do that. I haven''t heard about anything like that." Shen Yuan smiled a bit as he replied, "I already consulted with the system about that, it said that I can find him as long as I''m strong enough, so I have one other goal to look forward to." Their eyes lit up as Shen Yuxin asked, "Your system is back online? What new things can it do? Oh yeah, you haven''t told us the name of the system yet." Shen Yuxin rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment as he was about to say something, but the system suddenly spoke up at this time. Its voice resounded in the room so all of them could hear it. [Greetings, I am The Primordial Harem System. I derived my identity from the host''s extreme desire during his awakening ceremony to make the ultimate harem for himself. The recent upgrade has also lifted a lot of my restrictions and I can express myself more freely now.] The system''s voice was no longer robotic and monotonous, instead, it was the voice of an Enchantress, filled with charm and seductiveness. But there was a strange power in her voice, almost making the group of people in the room fall into an illusion of a limitless field of cherry blossoms. Shen Yuan''s eyes widened in surprise as he asked, "Why did your voice change so much? And since when did you be so chatty?" Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong looked at Shen Yuan in confusion, as if asking, ''This was the almighty being you were talking about?'' Shen Yuan wasn''t even able to react to the system revealing his desires during the awakening ritual as he was so shocked by the revtion of the system''s new identity. [I wasn''t even awake for the past 18 years, dear host. I just woke up when you turned 18. And I was always this chatty, it''s just that you were talking with my unconscious mind, that''s why it felt that you were talking with a¡­hmm¡­you call them a robot, yeah that''s the word robot.] Shen Yuan was shocked and speechless at the system''s answer, he wasn''t expecting the system to be sleeping all this while and he was only talking with its subconscious. [Ah, and if you didn''t know, I am female as well, though I can''t manifest my physical body here due to the world''s limitations so you will have to wait to see my sexy figure.] Shen Yuan could almost see the system winking at him, he felt his eyes twitch as he forced himself to calm down. He looked at his family, just to see their awaked and confused faces, not knowing how to handle this situation. Shen Yuan asked the system, "Then how should we address you? We can''t keep calling you System right?" [Hmmmm, then I will be called Yue Lan from now on.] Shen Yuan raised his eyebrow slightly as he asked in a curious tone, "How did youe up with that name?" [Don''t focus on it too much, it was random. Anyways, let''s introduce ourselves again.] Yue Lan paused for a moment to gather their attention, [My name is Yue Lan, and I am the partner and closestpanion of Shen Yuan, his Primordial Harem System.] She dered it proudly but Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong felt a vein pop up on their head when they heard Yue Lan shamelessly proiming herself to be Shen Yuan''s closestpanion. Shen Yuxin spoke first with a smile that didn''t look much of a smile, "I think you might be misunderstanding something here, Shen Yuan''s closestpanion is me. His Mother who has taken care of him since young and even breastfed him." Shen Yuxin dered without a hint of shame in her voice. But Shen Yuan felt his cheeks turning red as he felt secondhand embarrassment for his mother who didn''t mince her words a bit. Huo Rong and Bing Rong could only admit their defeat as they didn''t have to courage topete with their master. Contrary to their expectations, Yue Lan didn''t get angry but giggled slightly as she spoke, [Oh my~ quite the protective one you are. But worry not because I''m here to make him the strongest harem, not to keep him for myself. And it will only be beneficial for him to have a harem. Or else his Physique''s potential will be wasted in this ne.] All four of them felt their brain stopping as the information that Yue Lan just revealed was too much for them to take at once. Shen Yuxin was the first one to recover as she asked hurriedly, "Do you know which physique Shen Yuan has? And what effects will it have on him?" Chapter 58: Physique [His Physique is named Primal Harmony Physique, but due to its tier being too high for your current world to handle, it is sealed by the Transcendent Laws. You will need to ascend to a higher world before you can release the true potential of your physique. As for its effects? For starters, you can increase your cultivation rapidly with dual cultivation, and you can also help your dual cultivation partner with cultivation. Basically, you are the best dual cultivation partner one can seek.] Yue Lan paused to let them digest this knowledge before continuing. [Your physique doesn''t have many features as it is solely oriented toward Dual Cultivation to bring out the maximum potential of Shen Yuan. But as you reach a higher level, it will have more uses. For now, you can only increase your dual cultivation speed and learn the Yin and Yangwster.] The system finished its speech, and the four people in the room fell into contemtion after hearing it. Shen Yuan felt his heart beat faster in embarrassment after Yue Lan so directly revealed his physique. He wasn''t expecting her to discuss his physique so openly. But he also heaved a sigh as the matter of his physique was already out in the open. He decided to ask about his bloodline now as well since he didn''t get much of an answerst time. "What about my bloodline? I still don''t know anything about it¡ªneither its grade nor its use. I even suspect that it''s entirely useless at this point, honestly." Yue Lan fell silent this time at his question. Even with her usual chatty personality, she took a few moments to gather her thoughts before replying. [Your bloodline is truly something I haven''t seen before. Even after traversing infinite higher nes, I still haven''te across anything like it. And as for its grade and effect? I honestly have no idea. But it''s not showing any effect right now because it is unsaturated. You need to find something to feed it with.] She paused again to let them digest the knowledge. [It has shown the tendency to devour plenty of times, but it''s not just about devouring. It''s like the emptiness of all concepts, like a null zone. But I''m not sure about that yet. We will have to see in the future what the deal is with that. It would be best if you tried to find something to saturate it with first.] Shen Yuan didn''t expect that even after awakening, Yue Lan still wouldn''t be able to answer him. It made him a little happy and a little worried. He was happy that his bloodline was possibly stronger than the almighty system itself, but on the other hand, he didn''t know the origin of such a powerful thing inside him. Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong''s eyes were also filled with shock and amazement at Shen Yuan''s epic bloodline, since before this, they weren''t even sure if he had a bloodline or not. Shen Yuxin spoke up at this point with a slight tremble in her voice, "I wonder how strong Shen Yuan''s n must be, to have so many people with such a bloodli¡ª" Yue Lan interrupted her before she could let her thoughts run wild. [If that''s what you think, then it ispletely wrong. Some people can be born with ungodly bloodlines as well. Otherwise, where do you think all these bloodline nse from? The Founding Ancestors of these ns are mostly this type of proud son of Grand Dao.] She sighed, seeming slightly annoyed. [Ahh, this is so annoying. Let me just manifest myself a little.] Shen Yuan''s heart sped up as he thought about seeing Yue Lan''s otherworldly figure. Her voice alone was enough to make him think she had the sexiest voice in the world. His eyes lit up as he eagerly awaited her appearance. A light came out of Shen Yuan''s forehead and began to manifest in the center of the table. The light was bright and colorful, nearly blinding all four of them. Shen Yuan and the others covered their eyes with their hands, trying to look through the gaps in their fingers. When the light finally subsided, what they saw was an adorable kitten sitting on the table. She had white and orange fur all over her body and blue eyes that looked adorably at Shen Yuan. [Nyah~ What were you expecting, Shen Yuan? That it would be a hot and sexy girl? Hmm? Hehehe, too bad~] Shen Yuan lightly rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment as Yue Lan read him like an open book. He coughed lightly. "Cough, don''t misunderstand. I thought your appearance would be peerless no matter what form. And look, I stand corrected. I haven''t seen a kitty as adorable as you." Yue Lan giggled slightly. [Hehehe, you don''t have to be so disappointed. This is not my true form. I took this form casually, as I can''t manifest my true form in this world. So you can only interact with this form for now, Shen Yuan. So don''t be too disappointed¡ªjust get stronger quickly.] Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up slightly as well, and he nodded. Shen Yuxin had a slight smile observing their interaction as she thought inwardly, ''I think she might be doing this on purpose. Now Shen Yuan isn''t thinking about his friend''s death anymore. That''s a relief for me as well. However, it is expected to be distracted if the topic is as significant as someone''s bloodline or physique. Even Shen Yuan''s system is back online for him¡­'' She continued thinking internally while Shen Yuan continued having a small chat with Yue Lan. Just as he was about to ask something about her form, she interrupted him by pointing her tiny paws at him and saying, [Now, let''s get back on topic. We were discussing the bloodline and how some people are born with different or higher-level bloodlines. But even among them, Shen Yuan''s case is different. His bloodline grade is so high that it doesn''t make sense for it to be born naturally under the rule of heaven.] Chapter 59: Mortal Plane Shen Yuan listened intently, hoping to gain some knowledge about his bloodline. From what he heard so far, the only thing he understood was that his bloodline was incredibly powerful. So much so that even Yue Lan wasn''t able to make sense of it. "So, is my bloodline useless until I can saturate it with whatever it needs? Doesn''t sound that good to me. After all, where can I even find stuff so high-quality that my bloodline would deem it worthy to consume?" Yue Lan smirked slightly. [Beggars can''t be choosers. Though it will probably be hard to find something to saturate your bloodline in this ne, you can try your luck somewhere. Who knows, it might not even need such high-quality stuff and can be unlocked by simply a piece of wood.] Her voice had a hint of sarcasm at the end, as it was nearly impossible for Shen Yuan to fully unlock his bloodline in this lower ne. Shen Yuan also heard the sarcasm in Yue Lan''s voice loud and clear. He felt a vein pop up on his head as he saw Yue Lanughing at his expense. He moved his hand forward and tried to pick up Yue Lan. But his hands passed through her body, and he watched in shock as Yue Lan phased through his grasp. [Nyahh~ You bad boy, trying to bully this poor kitty. But too bad, this is merely an illusion, and you can''t really pick me up.] She had a smug grin on her face as she looked at Shen Yuan proudly, knowing he couldn''t do anything to her. Shen Yuan felt another vein pop up on his head as he red at Yue Lan''s smug expression. He took a deep breath to calm down, knowing it was useless to try anything. "So, I have to look for materials on this lower ne by myself? Is the system shop useless?" Shen Yuan asked another question to divert the conversation. [Nyah~ It''s not useless, but can you afford to try all the items in the system?] She looked down at him for his broke status and continued, [You can''t even afford a decent physique at this point. Even a Heavenly grade physique is 50,000 points each, and the same goes for the bloodline. And both are worthless for you; they won''t even increase your power that much. But they will make you more versatile. So, just look for items to feed your bloodline on this ne, though I doubt you can awaken it even if you feed it the entire ne.] Shen Yuan''s eyes widened in shock as he didn''t expect his bloodline''s appetite to be so huge. Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong''s eyes were also filled with amazement and shock at the ridiculous level of Shen Yuan''s bloodline. Shen Yuan fell into deep contemtion as he wondered how he could saturate his bloodline. Bing Rong asked in a confused tone, "By the way, you keep mentioning this ne, that ne. But what exactly is a ne? Our world?" Shen Yuan snapped out of his thoughts as he heard Bing Rong''s question. He was also quite confused about the world structure. Shen Yuxin and Huo Rong also grew curious as they looked at the small kitty on the table for answers. [Nyah~ You guys are too weak to know about it for now¡ª] Yue Lan started, but she saw Shen Yuan''s disappointed expression and changed her tone, [But I suppose I can tell you something about it.] Shen Yuan''s eyes filled with excitement as he sat up straight, eager to hear what she had to say. [The ce you are currently in is called the Deste Continent. This continent is situated on BlueCrest World. There are more continents on this, and this belongs to the HeavensFall Starfield. When youbine an infinite number of such star fields, you make up a ne.] She paused here to let them absorb the information. [And this¡ª] she continued, [is the lowest level of a ne of existence. People refer to it by various names: Mortal ne, Lower ne, Astral ne, etc. You can call it whatever you like, and it wouldn''t really matter. There are two more nes surrounding the Mortal ne: the Heaven ne and the Hell ne. Afterbining all three, you get a Small Heaven ne. The Heaven and Hell realms rule over the Mortal ne with differentws, and there are followers of both as well.] Shen Yuan and the others were silent, taking in the vastness of what she was saying. Finally, Huo Rong spoke up. "So these nes¡­ do they interact with each other? I mean, do beings from the Heaven or Hell nee to the Mortal ne?" [Absolutely.] Yue Lan nodded. [The Heaven and Hell realms have their ownws and followers. Sometimes they interact with the Mortal ne, either to influence events or to recruit new followers. But most of the time, they remain separate unless there''s a specific reason for interaction.] Bing Rong frowned slightly. "And these followers¡­ they live among us? Or do theye from the other nes?" [Both, actually.] Yue Lan exined. [Some are born here and ascend to the other nes, while others descend temporarily for specific missions or to influence events in the Mortal ne. Their presence can sometimes be felt, but they rarely interfere directly unless necessary.] Shen Yuan absorbed the information, his mind racing with the implications of what Yue Lan had revealed. The vastness of the world and the existence of higher nes made him feel both small and excited. His desire to grow stronger intensified, fueled by the realization that his current world was just a small part of something much greater. Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong were also deep in thought, contemting the new information. The idea of higher nes, powerful beings, and the interconnectedness of their world with others was overwhelming but also intriguing. Yue Lan, sensing the tense atmosphere of the conversation, decided to lighten the mood a bit. [Alright, enough of that stuff for now. I''ll let you all explore the world and its mysteries on your own. But Shen Yuan,] she added with a mischievous grin, [I''m curious¡­ How many women do you n to have in your harem, hmm?] Chapter 60: Breakfast The sudden question from Yue Lan caught Shen Yuan off-guard. He felt the intense gazes of Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong all focused on him. He could feel a faint pressure building in the surrounding room, knowing that his answer may very well trigger all three of them. Yue Lan''s teasing voice echoed in his mind, [Nyahaha, let''s see how you handle this one, Shen Yuan.] He ignored Yue Lan for now and took a deep breath, trying toe up with a passable answer to diffuse the situation. "Well¡­ you see¡­" he began, scratching the back of his head as he lowered his head slightly and fell silent for a while, contemting his choices. He raised his head, his eyes radiating resolve as he spoke, "I won''t close off my heart if I find a woman I like, so there might be only 3, 4, 7, or 10, or even more women around me." He paused here, looking at their reaction. He heaved a sigh as he saw that Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong''s expressions were the same and they weren''t disappointed in him. But from their faces, they also weren''t happy with him. So he continued, "But I also won''t go around collecting beauties from all over the ce, I won''t get together with any new one before getting permission from my harem members." He spoke seriously, without a shred of falsehood in his tone. Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong''s eyes lit up as they also heaved a sigh internally. They also felt proud of Shen Yuan''s mature view of his future. Yue Lan smiled slightly as she looked at the reaction of Shen Yuxin and the others. She had already expected how this event would y out. After all, she was trying her best to keep Shen Yuan''s future in mind. Shen Yuan got silent while looking at their positive reaction and finally smiled slightly. He was also a little happy at being able to give a solid answer. "Alright, let''s not talk about this further, we still need to discuss about my cultivation. Should we go to a ce? Somewhere I can look learn some new stuff and hopefully also find something to feed my bloodline." He asked Shen Yuxin in a soft voice. Shen Yuxin nodded her head as she considered for a moment and looked outside the window, it was already evening. She smiled slightly as she spoke, "We will stop at the next city to look around. It will take us quite some time so we will spend the night here." Shen Yuan''s eyes clouded with confusion as he asked, "Shouldn''t it take only a few minutes with the speed of the ship? After all, we saw a lot of cities fly past us as we traveled when we were going towards the training ground." Shen Yuxin smiled mischievously, "Yes yes, don''t worry about it. The ship will be going slowly cause it doesn''t have enough fuel." "Wha-" Before Shen Yuan could even ask, Shen Yuxin spoke up to Huo Rong and Bing Rong. "Take him to the dining room and set up the table." Bing Rong and Huo Rong got up and smilingly pulled at Shen Yuan''s hands and began dragging him out of the room. [Nyahaha~~] Yue Lan transformed into light and went inside Shen Yuan''s head, ''Hey, I didn''t even check the system screen after the upgrade!'' Shen Yuan yelled inside his head. [Don''t worry about it and just eat food, you can''t do anything about it for now anyway since you don''t have anyone in your harem. Just be good and find a few jade beauties.] She spoke in a yful and seductive tone, the same as she had before taking on the form of a cat. ''Wait, why are you talking normally now? I thought you were a cat spirit or something.'' Shen Yuan asked in puzzlement while Huo Rong and Bing Rong continued taking him to the dining room. Each of them had taken a single hand of Shen Yuan, grasping it tightly as Shen Yuan felt their soft hands. Their silky smooth skin soothed his heart as he rxed. Yue Lan spoke up in a mesmerizing voice, [You are enjoying yourself quite much huh, and for your earlier question. I only took the form of a cat and decided to y along with my role. I''m not literally a cat.] Shen Yuan nodded his head internally as they soon reached the dining room. There was a round table with 4 chairs at the center and light decorations all around, like a few paintings of greenery or artifacts likemps, etc. Both Huo Rong and Bing Rong left Shen Yuan''s hand as he moved forward to sit down on one of the chairs. Before he even sat down properly, both Huo Rong and Bing Rong sat down on both sides of Shen Yuan, only leaving the seat directly facing him empty for Shen Yuxin. "Are you sure about this? Won''t Mom be angry with you if you take her spot?" Shen Yuan asked in a slightly curious tone, as he knew the worst they would get was a spanking from his mother so he wasn''t worried about them much. "Hehehe, you don''t have to worry about that, since she let us go with you first then it was a tacit agreement, so we can sit with you today. After all, she took you for the whole night after she returned that day. And then you had to leave for the training. So that''s the reason she allowed us to sit with you." Huo Rong giggled sweetly as she finished speaking. While Shen Yuan thought inwardly, ''Your happiness is quite cheap, Mom really scammed you.'' His eyes filled with pity as he raised his hand and patted Huo Rong''s head, her soft hair feeling like a feather as he rubbed her head. Huo Rong tilted her head as she looked at Shen Yuan, she questioned him when she saw the look of pity on Shen Yuan''s face, which only made her annoyed even though she was feeling quite good being patted by Shen Yuan. Chapter 61: Night "Hey, what''s that look of pity you are giving me for? You are looking at me as if I get scammed or something." She asked in a questioning tone. Shen Yuan just shook his head and retraced his hand, Bing Rong brought her head a little closer to him, without saying anything. Shen Yuan just smiled and rubbed her icy blue hair, giving her some pats. She closed her eyes to enjoy it. She almost looked like a kitten getting pats as Shen Yuan also quite enjoyed patting both sisters. Shen Yuxin entered the dining room at this time. Looking at the empty table, she went towards Huo Rong, lightly smacking her head. SMACK! "Where is the food? You didn''t even prepare the table after so long?" She spoke as she looked at the empty table. Huo Rong rubbed her head as she replied, "I was just waiting for you, the food is already prepared after all." As she finished speaking, she took out a bunch of food from her storage ring. cing them all over the table. Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up as he looked at the food. After all, he didn''t eat anything good for the past few days. Even though he was eating high-quality food, his cooking skills weren''t on par with the chef''s. So he was still looking forward to eating with them. Shen Yuxin sat down as they all began eating and chatting, discussing Shen Yuan''s training and asking about what he ns to do next. "As nned before, I will go to a city to look around and see if I can find anything, and after that, we will return home. I will join your sect after breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm. I still need to decide on my Cultivation Technique since I don''t have anything right now." He continued talking about such stuff as he put down his concerns. Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong listened intently as they also decided to help Shen Yuan in whatever way possible for them. They soon finished eating the food amidst the chatting and they all got up and went back in the room. Shen Yuan looked in the room, which only had a single massive bed for resting purposes. Then he looked at his right side, where Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong were standing, smiling slightly while looking inside. He pointed inside and asked, "So, where will we sleep?" Shen Yuan''s question hung in the air for a moment as the three women exchanged nces, and then Shen Yuxin yfully spoke, "Of course, we will sleep on the bed, after all the bed is big enough for all of us." Huo Rong and Bing Rong both giggled softly with a hint of mischief in their eyes. Shen Yuan raised his eyes slightly, wondering what the three of them were up to. But he just shrugged his shoulders and went inside, "Alright, if that''s what you want." The three women smiled slightly as they followed after him into the room and went behind a screen. Shen Yuan sighed slightly, shaking his head as he began undressing, changing into a light robe for the night. Meanwhile, behind the screen, Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong also undressed their clothes, revealing their supple bodies as they wore nightgowns, everyone wearing different colors but sensual nightgowns. Shen Yuxin wore a ck nightgown, Huo Rong wore a red nightgown, and Bing Rong wore a blue nightgown. They looked at each other as they smiled slightly and walked out from behind the screen. Revealing their seductive appearances to Shen Yuan, whose eyes nearly popped out as he looked at the three of them. Even in his 18 years of life, he has never seen the three of them in such a sexy outfit. As Shen Yuan''s gaze fell on Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong, time seemed to slow down. Shen Yuxin''s ck nightgown clung to her curvaceous figure, highlighting her sexy body which radiated a mature charm and seductiveness, Huo Rong''s red nightgown seemed to flicker with fiery passion while Bing Rong radiated icy calmness with her blue nightgown. Shen Yuxin coughed lightly as she teasingly asked, "Well? What do you think? Do we look pretty?" Shen Yuan smiled lightly as he answered, "Of course, no one is as pretty as you, my family is the prettiest." Heplimented them lightly as a few words won''t cost him anything. Even if the lines were cheesy and old. Shen Yuxin and others smiled lightly at his reply. They all went to the bed to sit down. They formed a circle as Huo Rong once again put her head on Shen Yuan''sp, lying down peacefully. She looked at him, her eyes screaming for a pat. Shen Yuan smiled and started rubbing her head lightly. Bing Rong and Shen Yuxin just looked at Huo Rong with smiling faces, but Huo Rong knew what those gazes meant as she turned her face down and gotpletely rxed. Shen Yuan felt her ears twitching slightly as he also felt good patting her head. "Mom, which city will we be heading to?" he asked curiously as he didn''t know where they will go, after all he hadn''t seen much of the world. Shen Yuxin removed her gaze from Huo Rong and replied with a slight smile, "We are currently on the dividing line of the Aurora Zone and Emerald Wilderness Zone, we will be going towards the Aurora Zone to look for a city to look around. Since it''s the training hub of the Eastern Deste Region, it is the perfect ce, even small cities are loaded with goodies." Shen Yuan nodded his head as he got a rough map of the Eastern Deste Region from the library, Aurora Zone was the Central Trading Hub of the Eastern Deste Region, meanwhile Emerald Wilderness Zone was a region filled with vast jungles and forest, taking up nearly 95% of the ce. A lot of races lived in this zone, while most of them didn''t build a house but lived in giant trees. At the Center of the Emerald Wilderness Zone, exists a giant tree, looking at it from below, it almost makes it look as if a giant tree was piercing the vaults of heaven. He asked a few more questions before Huo Rong got up from hisp, her face glowing in happiness as she went to sit beside Bing Rong, and lightly pushed her shoulder to encourage her to go and lie on Shen Yuan''sp. Chapter 62: Morning He looked at their interaction as he knew Bing Rong was too shy to do anything, so he grabbed her hand and gently pulled her towards him. She didn''t resist at all and fell into hisp. He started brushing her hair lightly as she closed her eyes in enjoyment. Shen Yuan smiled lightly, looking at her kitten-like expression. He shook his head and continued chatting with Shen Yuxin. They talked untilte in the night as Shen Yuxin also got her chance. Shen Yuan helplessly shook his head as he patted her head softly. Shen Yuxin didn''t let him off as she made various poses to tempt him, almost making him lose his cool. He knew what she wanted, and he epted it. After living with her for over 18 years, he knew that she had adopted him due to how she felt the tug of fate at that time, and after living with him for so long, she had alsoe to love him dearly. He wanted to make her first night special, and that''s why he was controlling himself. But Shen Yuxin wasn''t making it any easier for him. She was tempting him at every opportunity to seduce him. He gently kissed her forehead as he whispered, "Let''s go to sleep, Mom." He hugged her tightly as he ced her above him, and Huo Rongy down on his right while Bing Rongy down on his left. He could feel their soft bodies pressing against him as he closed his eyes and fell asleep. ¡­ Shen Yuan''s eyes fluttered open, and the scene before him made his blood rush with excitement. The first thing he noticed was the soft feeling of something pressing against his chest. Shen Yuxin was lying across his chest, her head nestled against his shoulder, and her warm breath felt cozy on his neck. To his right, Huo Rong was curled up against him, her hand resting on his chest. Even in sleep, she had a slight smile on her face. On his left, Bing Rong was sleeping silently, her usual cold expression softened in sleep. Shen Yuan took a moment to absorb the scene, feeling a surge of emotions as he never expected such a day toe in his past life. These three women, who had been his family andpanions for so long, now meant so much more to him. He tried to gently shift so he could leave the bed, but that action woke up Shen Yuxin, who was sleeping on top of him. She fluttered her eyes open as she looked up and came face to face with Shen Yuan. She smiled sweetly as she looked at Shen Yuan, "Good morning dear, did you have a good sleep?" Shen Yuan smiled back and gently spoke, "Good morning Mom, and yes I had the best sleep of my life." He spoke while looking at Huo Rong and Bing Rong. Shen Yuxin understood what he meant, as his actions had already conveyed what he felt towards them. Just then, Huo Rong woke up and spoke in a sleepy voice, "Gud mowing¡­" She yawned as she sat up straight. Bing Rong also woke up. "Good morning, Yuan''er." She rubbed her eyes as she slowly sat up straight. All their nightgowns had gotten messed up while sleeping through the night. Revealing a small peek of the treasures hidden underneath, Shen Yuxin had thergest breasts out of the three, truly radiating a mature charm. Shen Yuan took in all of this with a slight smile on his face, enjoying the morning. "Alright, let''s quickly change clothes and have breakfast. We need to explore the city with Shen Yuan today," Shen Yuxin spoke up as she saw that Huo Rong and Bing Rong were already up. Bing Rong and Huo Rong nodded as they all stood up and went to freshen up and change clothes. Shen Yuan was left alone lying on the ground, he looked below to see his younger brother standing tall, his face turned a little red, ''She was feeling this and didn''t say anything¡­'' he continued thinking of this for a while. As he finally snapped out of his thoughts, he also went to wash his face and change clothes. ¡­ Soon, they all gathered in the dining hall and began eating breakfast and chatting about what they would do. As Shen Yuan bit into the juicy, roasted meat, a burst of rich vors filled his mouth¡ªthe perfect blend of savory spices and the meat''s natural tenderness. They continued to chat as Huo Rong suggested, "Hey, Yuan''er, since you don''t know what you are looking for and will only be looking around the city, why don''t we make it a date and enjoy ourselves? If it is meant to be then you will get the way to saturate your bloodline." Shen Yuan considered her option for a moment before he nodded his head in agreement, "Oh yeah, we can do that. Not like I know what I''m looking for, might as well just buy whatever I find to my liking and enjoy our time together." Shen Yuxin and Bing Rong also nodded their heads in agreement as they quite liked this idea. Bing Rong''s icy cold face also revealed a small smile as she wondered what she would do with Shen Yuan today. Shen Yuan thought of something as he asked, "Hey Yue Lan, show me my stats." Yue Lan''s voice echoed in the dining room. [You can''t see your stats until you activate the system fully.] Shen Yuan got confused as he was able to ess the system without doing anything in the past, so what was with this condition all of a sudden? "How can I activate the system?" Nheless, he first asked the pressing question as he truly didn''t want to miss such a golden opportunity to power up. [Well, what is the name of the system? You need to take the next step before you can activate it now. And you know what the next step will be.] Yue Lan fell silent after Shen Yuan asked about how to activate the system. Shen Yuan also fell silent as he considered his options. Meanwhile, Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong looked at each other, their eyes lighting up as if sparks were flying. Chapter 63: Shadowveil City They soon finished their meal, and as they all stood up to leave, Shen Yuan then asked, "So, which city are we heading towards, Mom?" Shen Yuxin paused for a moment, a small smile ying on her lips. "We will be heading towards Shadowveil City. It is situated at the periphery of the Aurora Zone. Maybe you can find something useful there." Shen Yuan raised his eyebrow slightly as he asked, "Why are we heading toward such a depressing-sounding ce?" Huo Rong giggled slightly as she answered, "It''s not depressing at all. It''s actually one of the biggest cities in this backward ce. Otherwise, you can''t even find anything good in most of the other cities." Bing Rong nodded in agreement. "Yes, there is a big auction house as well. Let''s go and see if there will be an auction today or not." Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up in excitement at the thought of exploring a new city, especially since it was a pretty big city as well. They all got out of the ship, which had been parked some distance away from the city for quite some time already. A lot of travelers looked at it, but none dared to step forward and ask about it. After all, not everyone can own such a massive private ship, and it''s a high-ranking ship at that. Shen Yuxin stored the ship in her storage ring after everyone walked off from the ship. The nearby people''s eyes widened at the disappearance of such a massive ship. Most storage rings around this area had a storage limit of about 100-1000 cubic meters, and the ship was way over a few thousand meters, even from a distance away. All the nearby cultivators got further away, not wanting to mess with the wrong people. If they were killed, then no one would even dare to pick up their bodies. That''s how harsh the cultivation world was. The strong would kill the weak, and the weak wouldn''t even have the right to demand justice. The only thing that matters here is strength. Shen Yuan looked at all of this, and his resolve to get stronger only grew stronger, refining his will further. Shen Yuxin smiled slightly, as this was the effect she wanted with that little show. She wanted to make Shen Yuan realize how absolute power in the cultivation world is. Sometimes, even people''s backgrounds can''t save them. Huo Rong and Bing Rong also looked at Shen Yuan with approval in their eyes. Shen Yuxin had already thought about all this during their cultivation years. Shen Yuan and the others began walking toward the city, ignoring the crowd that had already gathered farther away. Shen Yuan asked while walking, "What currency is used here, Mom?" Shen Yuxin patiently exined, "Most low-level cities and cultivators below the Inner Sea Realm use coins to trade. They are: Bronze Coin -> Silver Coin -> Gold Coin -> tinum Coin. They are exchanged in 1:100; for 1 Silver Coin, you will get 100 Bronze Coins, and so on. The same applies to the other coins." Shen Yuan nodded while listening to her. "Whates after these mortal coins?" "Let me tell you about them now," Huo Rong spoke up at this time, looking at Shen Yuxin for permission. Seeing her nod, she continued, "Cultivators use Spirit Stones for all transactions. This is the hard currency of the Cultivation World. These are divided into four levels: Low-Quality Spirit Stones, Mid-Quality Spirit Stones, High-Quality Spirit Stones, and Peak-Quality Spirit Stones. That''s enough for you to know about spirit stones for now. You should get stronger first before learning about the higher-level ones." Shen Yuan nodded as he didn''t mind not knowing about it since he had already amassed a huge number of spirit stones from the daily quest of the system in those 13 years with the system. They continued chatting as they reached the city gates. They saw a huge line forming of people who wanted to enter as well. They were paying entry fees to the guards to get into the city. Shen Yuan and the others went there, and all the people made way for them, noticing their extraordinary demeanor. Shen Yuan didn''t react much, as he had expected this much from how the people were reacting to the ship. He soon reached the city wall, took out a spirit stone from his storage space, and tossed it towards the guards, who hurriedly caught it. They hadn''t even dared to dream about receiving a tinum Coin, much less a Spirit Stone. They hurriedly stood straight and saluted them, "Wee, Young Master and Young Mistresses, to our Shadowveil City!" The surrounding people also muttered under their breaths, "Who are these people?" "They look so extraordinary." "The young man in the front looks like a Young Immortal, and all thedies look like fairies." "What are they here for?" ¡­ They continued whispering to each other, afraid that the Young Immortal would hear them. Shen Yuan and the others heard their chatter but decided to ignore them as they moved through the city gate and entered the city. It was bustling with noise as horse-drawn carriages were going everywhere on the concrete roads, and many stalls were set up further into the city on the side of the road. There was a map on the east side of the wall after entering the city. Shen Yuan and the others looked at the map to see where they wanted to head first. "Where do you want to visit first, Yuan''er?" Huo Rong asked, looking at him with an excited gleam in her eyes. She was truly excited to spend the day with Shen Yuan, going around everywhere. Shen Yuan smiled lightly as he spoke, "Let''s go visit some alchemy shops to see if something can interest me there." Shen Yuxin interrupted him, "Yuan''er, you know that what I have in my storage ring is a million times better than whatever you will find here, right?" "I know, Mom, but I''m just looking around for the sake of it. I don''t have any expectations that I will find anything worthwhile here." Shen Yuan answered with a soft smile as he began walking toward the marketce. Chapter 64: Heavenly Merchant Pavilion There were a lot of shops and stalls set up all over the ce, Shen Yuan decided to go towards the main street, looking around here and there. He saw a lot of people selling and buying their goods as they moved through the bustling ce. The air was filled with lively chatter of the merchants Hawking their wares. The scent of exotic herbs, spices, and street food wafted through the air. Shen Yuan, Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong walked through the main street. They looked at all types of different goods disyed by the merchants, the wide variety of goods ignited a little hope inside of Shen Yuan. Shen Yuxin then asked, "What do you think, Yuan''er? Anything that interests you?" She asked him, thinking whether he would find something to saturate his bloodline here, even though she had no hope for it, looking at the low-quality stuff lying around everywhere. Shen Yuan smiled lightly as he replied, "Nothing so far, but even if we don''t find anything, we have to make the most of the day." He looked around and saw a shop named ''Heavenly Merchant Pavilion'', "Let''s go see that ce." Huo Rong looked at it, "Oh, this chamber ofmerce has its branch here as well?" Shen Yuxin smiled softly as she exined, "With its sheer size, it isn''t that surprising that a branch exists here. Well, let''s go and visit this ce. It''s been so long since Ist visited their branch." Shen Yuan and the others nodded as they walked towards Heavenly Merchant Pavilion. The guards at the entrance hurriedly stood straight, not daring to neglect theing guests. The pavilion itself was an impressive structure, even grander than the neighboring establishments. It was decorated with carvings of different spiritual beasts, and its name was written in bold writing at the front. Shen Yuan could feel a different type of pressure being released by the handwriting as if a mighty warrior was ready for war. As they reached the entrance, the guards bowed and opened therge double doors, which were iid with jewelry. Shen Yuan acknowledged them with a nod and entered the pavilion, followed by Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong. Inside the pavilion, the atmosphere waspletely different from the hustle and bustle of the marketce. The interior wasvishly decorated with fine carpets, marble floors, and much more. Inside, rows of shelves were lined up with all kinds of treasures, from rare herbs and alchemy tools to ores and weapons. A well-dressed attendant approached them with a polite smile on her face. "Wee to the Heavenly Merchant Pavilion, dear guests. How may I be of help today?" Shen Yuan moved his eyes away from the shelves of treasures and looked at the female attendant. She was wearing a light pink colored flowing robe. She had ck hair and brown eyes, and a normal-looking face. The kind that won''t stand out in a crowd. Shen Yuan took a moment before he replied, "We are just browsing for now, but we are looking for rare and unique treasures. Do you have something that interests me?" The attendant''s eyes gleamed with interest as she raised her head proudly and dered, "There is nothing that our Heavenly Merchant Pavilion can''t sell in the Eastern Deste region. It''s just a matter of price. Please follow me to the 9th floor, esteemed guests. You won''t find such treasures even in bigger cities." Shen Yuan and others nodded as they believed her words and followed her to the upper floors. As Shen Yuan passed floor by floor, he saw different types of treasures in each level, with the higher he went the higher quality of goods he could spot. Soon they reached the 9th floor, as this ce was pretty deste in contrast to the lower floors which were teeming with many people. There were only a few people on the whole floor. One particr group stuck out like a sore thumb. A young man with a few guards as his entourage was looking around the ce as well. The female attendant spoke up at this time, "This is our collection of all types of unique or unknown treasures that we couldn''t identify." Shen Yuan decided to ignore all the others and focus on what he came here for. Shen Yuan and his group began looking around the shelves, examining various treasures to see if something could catch their attention. The 9th floor of the Heavenly Merchant Pavilion had an array of rare and mysterious items, many of which couldn''t be identified even by the pavilion experts. There were strange glowing ores. Shen Yuan asked inside his head while extending his hand forward to check it out, ''Hey, Yue Lan, do you know what this glowing ore is?'' Yue Lan replied whileughing, [Hahaha, that''s Sacred Vein Refining Behemoth''s shit. They are pretty rare spiritual beasts whose sects train to refine ores. Hahaha, you really have some luck to find shit here.] Shen Yuan felt his eye twitch as he hurriedly retracted his hand and took his family further away from that area. "Hmm? What happened, Yuan''er?" Huo Rong asked as she saw him taking them away from the area near the ores before they could even check it properly. Shen Yuan wiped his sweat as he replied, "Cough, nothing. That ore seemed smelly to me, so I took you guys away from it." He hurriedly looked around to change the subject as he didn''t want them to know how close they were to a beast''s shit. "Hey, look at this ancient-looking scroll¡ª" Before he could even finish speaking, Yue Lan''s voice echoed in his mind. [Hahahaha, that''s the scribbling of a child from a long-lost era. It''s worthless just like your luck, Hahaha] Yue Lan couldn''t stopughing at Shen Yuan''s luck. He felt a vein popping on his head as he turned and looked at another treasure. "What about this Treasured Sword? It looks like it can y even Immo¡ª" Once again, Yue Lan interrupted him whileughing, [Bahahaha, it''s a broken cursed sword. Its users will be cursed to wear a green hat for however long they live.] Chapter 65: Wild Young Master Encounter Shen Yuan nearly unsheathed his sword from anger this time. "Fuck, what is this shitty sword?" Shen Yuan cursed, his voice echoing in the chamber, making people give him a weird look. While Yue Lan told Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong about what happened, Huo Rong could barely hold back herughter as she patted Shen Yuan and spoke, "Don''t worry, Yuan''er, you will definitely find something useful here." Before he could even respond, a voice echoed from behind the group. "Well, well, what do we have here?" The young master from before came towards them with his entourage, looking at Huo Rong with undisguised lust. His eyes moved between Shen Yuan and Huo Rong as he continued, "A pretty young maiden like you doesn''t belong beside this trash. May I be so bold as to ask for your name?" Huo Rong''s expression chilled, but before she could say something, Shen Yuan stepped forward, his voice cold and menacing, as if it came from the Yellow River. "Shut the fuck up. Who do you think you are to dare posture in front of me?" The Young Master''s smile faded, reced by an icy exterior. His entourage raged, their hands moving towards their weapons, but the Young Master stopped them with a raise of his hand. "You''ve got quite a big mouth for your age, brat. But do you really think you can stand against me? Do you have any idea who I am?" "I don''t give a fuck who you are. Scram before you get killed here." Shen Yuan didn''t mince his words as he stared straight at the Young Master. The tension in the air rose as it looked like a fight was about to break out. Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong still stood rxed, as if whatever was happening had nothing to do with them. But Shen Yuan couldn''t see this as they were behind him. Just as the Young Master put his hand on his sword to unsheathe it, a loud voice boomed from the depths of the pavilion, and an old man came out with slow steps. He first looked at the entourage of the Young Master. His eyes shed lightly as he recognized them immediately, then looked towards Shen Yuan. He was confused, as the aura he felt before seemed to be at the Peak Foundation Establishment realm, but the young cultivator in front of him was merely at the 5th level of Qi Refinement. He ignored the rest of the crowd, not even noticing Shen Yuan''s group, and spoke, "Fighting inside the grounds of Heavenly Merchant Pavilion is forbidden. If you brats want to fight, then go outside." He walked back as soon as he finished speaking, as if he couldn''t be bothered to stay a moment longer. The Young Master looked in the direction where the old man had left for a second before walking towards the exit with his entourage, saying, "You won''t be able to leave this city. Remember it, brat." Shen Yuan looked at the exit for a moment longer before turning around to look at his family. Huo Rong giggled slightly. "Oh my, Yuan''er got angry for my sake. I''m so happy that I could die!" She spoke in a dramatic voice to lighten the mood. Shen Yuan just shook his head and smiled slightly. Bing Rong then asked, "Why did you hold back at the end, Yuan''er? I felt your killing intent earlier, and I really thought you were going to kill him right there." Shen Yuan shook his head as he replied, "He is not worth it." Huo Rong tilted her head as she asked, "Not worth it for what?" He continued with a t tone, "He isn''t worthy enough for me to worsen my rtionship with the Heavenly Merchant Pavilion over his worthless life. I can end him whenever I want, so he better pray that I don''t meet him while I''m in the city." Shen Yuxin smiled, looking at his mature thinking. He was able to hold back and not attack when he knew he could have finished his opponent in one move. She fully approved of this approach, knowing that it was much more important to live a long life than just having a powerful cultivation base. After all, even ants can w an elephant to death. ''Well, ants won''t be able to do anything if it''s a dragon,'' she thought inwardly as she saw Shen Yuan''s potential. Shen Yuan and his group continued looking around for a while longer, but the earlier encounter had soured the mood slightly. Even the shelves that had looked interesting to him before lost their luster. He continued looking at one treasure after another, hoping to find something to help him, but Yue Lan continued toment on each item he picked up. [You have got to be kidding me, Shen Yuan. This looks like used toilet paper instead of ancient scriptures. And look at that¡ªoh wait, that''s a real sword but still useless because your mom would give you something betterter anyway, or you can buy it from the system¡­.] She continuedmenting on the items he picked up, and 70-80% of it was trash, while the remaining items also weren''t good enough for him. Shen Yuan shook his head internally, trying to ignore the growing irritation building up inside him. He knew Yue Lan was just trying to be helpful, but her remarks weren''t making it any easier for him. Noticing his growing irritation, Shen Yuxin gently nudged him and suggested, "Yuan''er, don''t worry too much. You''ll find it somewhere else if not here. We didn''t have much expectation of finding it here anyway." Huo Rong and Bing Rong nodded their heads in agreement as they tried to support Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan released a deep breath and replied with a slight smile, "I know that, but knowing one thing and facing it are two different things. Sigh, I expected too much from my damn luck." Chapter 66: Meal Shen Yuxin nodded in understanding, as she could understand how he felt. After all, he wasn''t some old monster who had seen through life. He was only a young man, still learning the ways of life. She spoke to change the topic, "Alright, since we can''t find anything here, we should leave and explore the rest of the city." Huo Rong and Bing Rong nodded in agreement as Huo Rong spoke, "Yeah, there are many more establishments all around the city. Even if we don''t find anything here, maybe we can find something at another ce." Bing Rong then spoke up, "The chances of that are quite low¡ªalmost negligible." Huo Rong shot her a re as Bing Rong turned her face to the side. She then looked at Shen Yuan only to see him smiling toward her. "We should indeed explore another ce, and I don''t have any more expectations of finding anything worthwhile here." The female attendant from before came at this time and asked, "Did you find anything to your liking, dear guests?" she asked with a polite smile on her face, ignoring all the drama that had happened previously. Shen Yuan replied in a polite tone, "Unfortunately, we couldn''t find something that would catch our eyes. We will visit next time if we need anything else." The attendant politely nodded and led them back down the stairs, escorting them toward the exit of the pavilion. Shen Yuan and the others talked about the various weird treasures they found, Huo Rong, in particr,ughed at his bad luck of finding the most worthless treasures on the whole floor. "Alright, let''s go to a restaurant to eat some food. We should taste what the food here is like," Shen Yuxin suggested as she saw it was time to eat. Even though, at their levels, they didn''t need to eat any food, they still had the habit of eating daily on time due to Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan and the others nodded as they asked around for the best restaurant. After a while, they concluded that the ''Jade Pavilion'' was the best restaurant around. "Let''s go there then," Shen Yuan said as they moved toward the inner part of the city. After some time, they saw arge pagoda-type building with multiple floors on a busy street. "Looks like this is the Jade Pavilion. Let''s go and see what their food tastes like," Bing Rong said as they all moved toward the building. The guards opened the gate as they entered the pagoda, and a waiter came toward them. "May I ask where esteemed guests would like to eat?" Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow at his strange question, "What do you mean? Don''t you have empty tables?" The waiter made an ''ah'' sound as if realizing something and spoke with a polite smile, "It looks like esteemed guests are not from Shadowveil City. Our Jade Pavilion is the most famous establishment when ites to food in the entire city and the surrounding region." He paused to see their reaction as he continued, "There are five floors in our pavilion. Each higher floor has higher-quality and more expensive food. So my question is, on which floor would you like to eat?" Shen Yuan nodded in understanding, "Then we shall eat on the 5th floor," he answered straightforwardly without much thought, as he wanted whatever the best was there for his family. The waiter awkwardly smiled, "This¡ªTh¡ªGuest needs to make a special reservation to enter the 5th flo¡ª" Before he could even finish, Shen Yuan threw a small bag filled with spirit stones toward the waiter, who caught it hurriedly and spoke with a hint of anger in his voice, "Sir, we have a reputation here. We don''t take bri¡ª" Shen Yuan interrupted him before he could finish speaking, "Look inside the bag before speaking." The waiter, who was still fuming, took a deep breath as he slightly opened the bag to see how many coins Shen Yuan had given him to show off this much. But his eyes nearly bulged out as he saw nearly a dozen Spirit Stones lying inside. He hurriedly closed it as he looked to his left and right. His face showed the same polite smile that he had before. "I forgot you had a reservation here already, Young Master. Please follow me to the highest floor." The waiter even changed his tone after Shen Yuan gave him Spirit Stones, leading him politely through the higher floors. Meanwhile, Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong stayed silent the whole time, looking at how Shen Yuan would handle it. And they weren''t disappointed one bit as they saw him dealing with the butler without any trouble. Bing Rong asked curiously as they walked up the stairs, "Where did you learn that, Yuan''er?" Shen Yuan smiled lightly as he tried to reply in a low voice so the waiter wouldn''t hear their chatter, but Shen Yuxin waved her hand and spoke with a smile, "You can speak freely, Yuan''er. I have created a soundproof barrier around us." Shen Yuan nodded his head toward her with a smile as he began, "I learned this in myst life from reading countless novels. If money can solve an issue, then it''s not an issue. It was an iron-d rule in myst life." Shen Yuxin and the others nodded in understanding as he had already exined the novels to them. Shen Yuan then inwardly thought, ''I also wonder, do those ancient gods in xianxia novels or other mythology exist somewhere?'' He didn''t ask Yue Lan, as even if they existed, he couldn''t interact with them for now. They soon reached the top floor and selected a particr private roof. It wasvishly decorated, deserving of its reputation. Flower pots, candles, ornaments, and a lot of other things were neatly arranged there as decoration. Shen Yuan and the others entered and sat down on it. The waiter took out a pen and a small book and asked, "What would you like to eat? You can see the menu on the table and tell me." Shen Yuan opened the menu and looked through the food. Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong also picked up menus to see what was in it. They looked for quite some time, asking each other what they wanted, and ordered some of the most expensive dishes on the menu to try them. The waiter happily took their orders as he went back to bring the food. Shen Yuan and the others started chatting while waiting for the food. Huo Rong asked as she looked at Shen Yuan, "What do you want to do now, Yuan''er? After leaving this city? There don''t seem to be many more things left to try here." Shen Yuan thought for quite some time, wondering what else he could do before he responded, "There isn''t anything left to do. We will leave after eating food and strolling the market onest time. We will head back home afterward." Huo Rong nodded, as this was what she wanted as well. This city was slightly gloomy for her due to the concentration of shadow elements in the surroundings. Shen Yuan didn''t feel any difort, so he didn''t know what they were feeling. Chapter 67: Wild Young Master Reappeared Soon, the food was served, and they began eating. Even though it was notparable to what the chefs his mom had hired could cook, it was delicious nheless. They took their sweet time savoring the food, chatting and eating as time passed. After they finished eating, the waiter came with the bill. Shen Yuan directly asked, "How much?" The waiter smiled fawningly. "It''s nothing for you, Young Master. Five tinum coins is the total bill." Shen Yuan searched his storage ring and system space but couldn''t find any tinum coins. So, he took out a Spirit Stone and tossed it to the waiter. "I don''t have any coins on me. Cover the bill with this and keep the rest for yourself." The waiter hurriedly caught it and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, Young Master. You don''t have to bother with this small stuff." Shen Yuan nodded as they all stood up and headed toward the exit. Shen Yuan looked up curiously. Seeing him like this, Shen Yuxin asked, "What are you wondering about, Yuan''er?" Shen Yuan smiled slightly in amusement as he replied, "I was expecting that Young Master toe and ruin our lunchtime. But it looks like I was worrying over nothing." Bing Rong curiously asked, "Why do you think so, Yuan''er?" "Hahaha, it''s nothing, just a hunch of mine. Don''t mind me. Let''s go for a walk." Shen Yuan shrugged as he began walking. They browsed various shops, entering and exiting many establishments in search of interesting trinkets. s, even though they bought a lot of stuff, Shen Yuan couldn''t find anything that could help him. But at least he was enjoying his time together with his family so he wasn''tining one bit. After strolling for some time, Shen Yuan noticed something and purposely turned toward an alleyway. Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong also smiled slightly as they followed him into the alleyway. After walking towards a deste part, Shen Yuan''s voice boomed inside the alleyway, "You have been hiding for long enough. Come out NOW." Shen Yuan looked toward the various exits of the alleyways, while Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong watched him, curious about how he would handle the situation. Some ck-clothed people started emerging from the shadows, their cultivation levels ranging from the 6th-level Qi Refinement to the 3rd-level Foundation Establishment Realm. The Young Master from earlier also appeared with them, smiling evilly as he spoke from afar, "Hahaha, who will save you this time, brat? There is no pavilion guardian here to save you. You dare toe to my city and disrespect me? Courting Death!" The ck-d figures circled around Shen Yuan and the others, closing off any possible escape routes. Shen Yuan, however, remained calm in the face of the Young Master''s taunts. He scanned the group, noticing that the highest-ranking cultivator among them was an 8th-level Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator¡ªan old man with a sword strapped to his back. ''Hmm, looks like he is the guardian of that retard,'' Shen Yuan thought, eyeing the old man and debating whether to finish them all off at once. "You really won''t know the meaning of death until you see it, huh?" Shen Yuan spoke loudly, his voice echoing through the silent streets. "Do you really want to cross paths with me that much?" The Young Master burst outughing, as did the men who had apanied him earlier, as if they had heard the biggest joke in the world. "Bahahaha, do you even know who I am, brat? I am the Young Master of the Hei n. We are the hegemon of Shadowveil City. Not even an ant can pass through here without our permission. And you dare to confront me?" "h h h, I don''t care if you are the Young Master of the Hei, Yin, or An ns. Since you dare to force my hand, you will be killed." As Shen Yuan stepped forward slowly, the Young Master felt a change in the atmosphere. A subtle yet terrifying killing intent was brewing in the surroundings. He gritted his teeth and shouted, "What are you morons waiting for? Go and attack him!" The ck-clothed people could feel the change in the air, but they had no choice but to bite the bullet and leap toward Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan calmly watched as the ck-clothed cultivators charged at him. His eyes narrowed slightly as he took out a scythe from his storage ring. The weapon gleamed ominously, as if heralding death. With a swift and fluid motion, he spun the scythe in his hands, cleaving through the air with a menacing whistle. The first attacker reached him with a sword raised above his head, ready to strike. But before the sword could even descend, Shen Yuan''s hands moved. In an instant, the cultivator''s weapon was shattered, and his body was split in two, blood spraying all over the ground. The other cultivators halted in their tracks, their breathing hitched as they didn''t dare to breathe too loudly in Shen Yuan''s presence. But they had little choice, so they gritted their teeth and ran toward Shen Yuan, hoping to exhaust him. Shen Yuan looked at the horde of cultivators approaching him and calmly gathered qi on his scythe, charging it for a bit before unleashing a qi de. "Reaper Cleave," he murmured under his breath as he released the technique. It sliced through the horde of cultivators, who couldn''t withstand even a single technique from him. While the majority moved away from the attack, a good portion of them was still killed. Shen Yuan ignored the survivors as he moved toward the Young Master Hei, who was frozen in ce, his remainingckeys trembling behind him. Even the guardian wore a somber expression as he had already unsheathed his sword and was gripping it tightly. As Shen Yuan nearly reached Young Master Hei, thetter snapped out of his daze and screamed, "Stay away from me, you monster!" He hurriedly hid behind his guardian. "Kill him, Uncle! He killed so many of our nsmen." Uncle Xie nearly cursed at his nephew''s words, but he decided to ignore him for now as he spoke to Shen Yuan, "Young man, how about we stop this before anyone is seriously injured?" He tried to mediate the situation, not wanting to fight with this monster, who was already so strong despite being so young. He was also wary of the forces backing Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow as he looked back at the trail of corpses he had left behind. Uncle Xie hurriedly added as he saw where Shen Yuan was looking, "You don''t have to worry about them. They are our family''s death guards¡ªthey follow our orders without hesitation. Even if we ask them tomit suicide, they will do it without question." Shen Yuan nodded in understanding and smiled politely. "Ah, so it was a misunderstanding. Hmm, I understand that." Uncle Xie also smiled slightly, relieved that the situation hadn''t escted further. "Yes, yes, it was all a misunderstanding. How about youe to our n for a mea¡ª" Before he could finish his sentence, Shen Yuan interrupted him coldly. "I refuse. You have no other choice but to hand him over." Chapter 68: Ending The Moron Uncle Xie''s smile froze as he realized the situation was progressing towards an oue that he didn''t want to face. He gripped his sword tightly and spoke with a deep voice, "Young Man, it''s not good to make such rash decisions. Take a step back, or else you regret your choices one day." Shen Yuan smiled lightly as the coldness from his face faded, he spoke lightly, "Looks like you have made your choice." He raised his scythe as his smile faded, only calmness remained as he continued, "Now face the consequences of your choice." Uncle Xie looked back at Young Master Hei, "Even though we do not have the same surname, I have raised you since you were young. Even if I died protecting you today, I won''t have any regret." He raised his sword as he prepared for an epic showdown, the most glorious one of his entire life. He looked towards Shen Yuan but he didn''t find him standing there, he felt a gust of wind blowing as he heard someone whispering, "Don''t overestimate yourself." He sliced the old man''s neck cleanly as he didn''t even have time to react. "Ahhh" The young master stumbled back, falling to the ground as his entire body quivered in terror. "Wh-whq-wgar heve yju done" He couldn''t even form aplete sentence as Shen Yuan turned away from the old man''s body and turned his scythe towards Young Master Hei. Everything happened so fast that neither the ck-d cultivators nor the minions of Young Master Hei could react to Shen Yuan, they were still standing in their positions, frozen in fear. Shen Yuan spoke while pointing his scythe toward Young Master Hai. "It''s your turn now." Shen Yuan moved towards him menacingly. Young Master Hei quivered on the ground as he shouted, "Don''te near me, stay away!" He had regained a bit of hisposure as he could finally speak. Shen Yuan put the scythe back as he stood in front of him and grabbed him by his neck, raising him above, he asked, "Did you think you will end up like this?" Young Master Hei struggled to breathe as he spoke, "You don''t know my father! He won''t spare yo-" Shen Yuan interrupted him as he raised his hand and said, "If he dares to look for death, then that is what I shall deliver to him." He didn''t wait for Young Master Hei to speak as he stabbed his heart with his hand, ripping it out. Young Master Hei''s eyes widened as he couldn''t even speak his final words. Shen Yuan released his body as he fell down, but he noticed something strange in his hand. The heart which he was holding was melting and being absorbed into his body. He felt a cold chill in his back as he shook his hand to throw the heart away but it stuck to his palm. Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong teleported beside him, but before they could do or ask anything they heard, [Ding!] [Unknown bloodline has initiated absorption of the Mortal-Tier Phantom Physique.] [Host''s bloodline is refining the Mortal-Tier Phantom Physique due to its low-tier nature.] [Congrattions, Host! You have sessfully acquired the Mortal-Tier Phantom Physique.] [Ding!] [Due to its low tier, the bloodline has refined the Mortal-Tier Phantom Physique, granting the Host a unique Darkness Affinity.] [Darkness Affinity enhances the Host''s ability to manipte and control darkness, allowing for advanced stealth, shadow maniption, and powerful dark-based techniques. This affinity strengthens the Host''s connection to dark elements, amplifying their effectiveness inbat and concealment.] Shen Yuan''s body sweated a lot during the absorption process as he took a deep breath to calm down, he looked at his hands as he was now able to feel the Darkness element in the surroundings more clearly. "What was that just now, Yue Lan?" He asked Yue Lan as he couldn''t calm down enough to think this through. Yue Lan''s replied with a hint of solemnity in her voice, [That was your bloodline trying to saturate itself, seems like we found a way to saturate your bloodline, Shen Yuan. You even got the Physique as a side effect of absorbing that guy''s Physique. But due to its low tier, your bloodline refined its core essence and granted you Darkness Affinity.] In the end, her voice once again regained her usual yfulness as she was also relieved now that they knew how to saturate Shen Yuan''s bloodline. Shen Yuan processed the information as he spoke his thoughts after a while, "So, I can get various Physiques after killing their predecessors and absorbing their hearts? Is it limited to their Physiques or can I absorb Bloodline and Talents as well?" He directly asked about what he wanted to know the most at this moment. The limits of his Bloodline''s devouring powers. Yue Lan replied in an uncertain tone, [Hmm, that is quite hard to answer, since I have never seen a Bloodline that can devour another''s Physique and give it to its user. We will have to experiment with itter.] Shen Yuan nodded his head in agreement as he looked toward Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong. Who was looking at him worriedly even though they heard what Yue Lan spoke. Shen Yuan smiled reassuringly towards them as he spoke, "Don''t worry you guys. I''m alright or even better than before. Now I have one possible way to saturate my bloodline." Shen Yuxin nodded her head but asked in a quiet tone, "So, will you walk in the demonic path Yuan''er?" Shen Yuan smiled in amusement as he asked, "Will you try to kill me if I walk on the demonic path?" Shen Yuxin shook her head resolutely as she replied, "No, I will stand by your side no matter even if you stand against the entire world." Huo Rong and Bing Rong also nodded in agreement. Shen Yuan smiled slightly as he shook his head, "Don''t worry, I don''t n on walking the demonic path, not now nor in the future. But I also won''t walk the path of righteous cultivators, I will walk on my own path." Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong nodded their heads proudly as they saw that Shen Yuan didn''t get tempted even with the power he had. If he turned to the demonic path then he had the highest chance to saturate his bloodline. But he decided against that, and that made Shen Yuxin proud. Huo Rong curiously asked, "So, Shen Yuan, how high is the affinity you got this time?" Before Shen Yuan could reply, Yue Lan jumped out of his forehead in her cat form and sat down on Shen Yuan''s head, [Nyahh~ it''s a pretty low-level talent but he can upgrade it in the future if he increases it high enough then he can easilyprehend Darkness Law] Huo Rong and the others nodded in understanding while trying to ignore how funny Shen Yuan looked with a car on his head. Shen Yuan felt his hand twitch as he tried to pick up Yue Lan, but once again his hand passed through her. [Nyahaha~ you can''t catch me, just give up.] Shen Yuan nearly cursed as he spoke, "Just wait, one day you will regret ying me like this." Chapter 69: Talent Tiers Yue Lan rolled on his head as she shrank her size to be able tofortably roll on his head. [Nyaa~ it''s a long time in the future. You will probably forget about it at that time.] Shen Yuan decided to ignore her as he asked something which he didn''t have an answer to, "So, are talents divided into tiers as well?" Yue Lan flicked her tail as she replied, [Of course, they are divided into different tiers. There are Minor Tier Talent, Major Tier Talent, King Tier Talent, Emperor Tier Talent, and Supreme Tier Talent. Each talent is divided into 4 grades, Low Grade, Mid Grade, High Grade, and Peak Grade. And currently, Shen Yuan has Low-grade Minor talent, The Darkness Affinity.] She paused here to let the information sink in before she continued. [As you grow stronger the lower-level talents will be useless, but there are some heaven-defying chances in the world to upgrade your talent, be it some treasure or your ownprehension. But in your case, hehe, you can simply upgrade your talent by devouring.] Huo Rong and Bing Rong exchange nces, trying to digest what they heard from Yue Lan as what they knew was limited to Minor and Major talents, they didn''t even hear about the tiers above that. Meanwhile, Shen Yuxin was focused more on how dangerous or advantageous it would be for Shen Yuan, and how she could bring out the maximum potential of him without turning him to the Demonic Path. Shen Yuan, in the meantime, tried to ignore how ridiculous he looked with a small cute cat rolling around on his head. His hand twitched as he wanted nothing more than to throw her away from his head, but he knew better and resigned to his fate. He sighed as he spoke, "So, I just need to keep improving right?" [Nyaa~ Exactly,] Yue Lan purred on his head as she continued in azy tone, [And who knows? You might turn your trash talent into a Supreme Grade talent one day. But that''s all for the future, for now just focus on getting stronger.] Shen Yuan nodded his head resolutely as he finally found a path to follow, now he won''t have to find ways to saturate his bloodline. "Alright then," He spoke with a confident smile on his face. "Looks like I got my work cut out for me." [Nyaa~ That''s the spirit! Now let''s move forward, there is still a lot to learn and a lot of talents to acquire!] She stood straight on his head and spoke heroically as if she was going on an adventure. But it only made Shen Yuan look more ridiculous. This scene also defused the tense atmosphere as Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rongughed at them. Shen Yuan only shook his head as he was getting used to this already. "Let''s go now." Shen Yuan said as he moved towards the exit of the gate. Shen Yuxin looked towards Bing Rong as she nodded and said to Shen Yuan. "You go on ahead Yuan''er, I have something to do in the city, I wille in a bit." "Do you need my help with it?" Shen Yuan asked her, thinking if it was something with which he could help. Bing Rong smiled sweetly as she shook her head and began walking away, "Worry not, I will be back in a bit." Shen Yuan looked towards his Mom for confirmation who nodded her head and spoke, "Don''t worry about her Yuan''er, she is the stronger cultivator in this city currently. Nothing will happen to her even if the city is destroyed." Shen Yuan heaved a relieved sigh as he began walking towards the exit with his family. Yue Lan also returned to Shen Yuan''s forehead. Meanwhile, on the other side, Bing Rong''s expression shifted to one of cold indifference as she made her way toward the Hei n''s territory. Although she had reassured Shen Yuan that she was going to solve a minor matter, her mind was still focused on the task ahead which she took on herself. She had made up her mind to eliminate the Hei n since they dared to target Shen Yuan. The Hei n was the strongest n in Shadowveil City, but in Huo Bing''s eyes, they were nothing but insignificant ants. The n leader of the Hei n, the highest level cultivator in the n, was merely in the Inner Sea realm¡ª a realm which Bing Rong surpassed by several major realms. To her, they were not evenparable to ants, and she had no qualms to squash them beneath her feet. As she neared the Hei n estate, her aura shifted as she released a small wisp of her cultivation which put a subtle yet overwhelming pressure on the Hei n estate. The Hei n cultivators who sensed the pressure instinctively backed away as they felt goosebumps all over their bodies. The weaker cultivators even copsed on the ground. Bing Rong lightly stopped towards the front door where the two guards who saw her felt death looming above them as they shakingly raised their swords and shouted, "Halt! Who goes there?!?" Bing Rong didn''t bother to reply. With a flick of her hand, an invisible force sent the guards flying as they hit the door and slid down, their bodiesy down lifeless. Without sparing them another nce, she continued moving forward, passing through the gates as if she owned the estate herself. The estate was vast, with several buildings and multiple pagodas, all filled with cultivators. As she entered, a few more guards ran toward her, but she finished them off with a wave of her hand. They didn''t even have time to draw their weapons before she dispatched them. Her objective was clear: The Annihtion of the Hei n, including the n Leader Hei. Themotion drew the attention of the higher-ups of the Hei n. Several Elders and Core Disciples, all of whom were in the Foundation Establishment realm. They all emerged from the main hall of the n, their faces twisted with rage as they saw the dead bodies of the guards. They were more angry about the loss of face than they were angry about the death of the guards. "Who dares to intrude upon the territory of the Hei n??" One of the Elder demanded, his voice shaky with fear and anger. He was still feeling a sense of powerlessness due to Bing Rong''s overwhelming might as she was still faintly releasing her pressure. Bing Rong nced at them with a calm and indifferent expression, "You should have considered the consequences before daring to provoke Shen Yuan. Now, face the consequences of your choice." The elders exchanged nces as they knew what she was talking about, after all they were the ones who dispatched the death guards after Shen Yuan when their young master asked for help. Never in their wildest dreams, they expected to invite such a cmity to their n. One of the more courageous elders stepped forward as he coldly spoke, "You think you can take on the entire Hei n alone by yourself? Even if you are strong, don''t forget that you are in Shadowveil City, you won''t be able to esca¡ª" His words were cut off as Bing Rong made a gentle motion with her hand and the elder''s body exploded on the spot. Not leaving even a single piece intact. His blood sshed on the nearby Elders and Core elders, whose eyes shook as they saw this scene. Chapter 70: Hei Clan Demise His words were cut off as Bing Rong made a gentle motion with her hand and the elder''s body exploded on the spot. Not leaving even a single piece intact. His blood sshed on the nearby Elders and Core elders, whose eyes shook as they saw this scene. The rest of the cultivators paled, realizing that they were up against someone much stronger than them. Even their n leader wouldn''t have been able to kill the elder this easily. They couldn''t even react before she killed the elder, still reading in shock as she raised her hand and pushed it down. Their faces changed greatly as they felt a monstrous pressure pressing them down. All of them knelt on the ground as their forehead filled with cold sweat, their teeth ttered as they hurriedly begged, "Please spare us, Senior! We didn''t know that the Young Lord was rted to you!" "Yes yes, we didn''t know who he was." "We had no idea who we were dealing with!!" ¡­ They continued to beg as Bing Rong''s face chilled, she spoke in a cold toneced with killing intent. "I didn''te here to listen to your nonsense, since you dared to target him, then be ready to face the consequences." She increased the pressure, everyone in front of her smashed to the ground as they felt their bones creaking. Just then a person came from inside the Main Hall of the estate, "Senior, please, I beg you. Spare our lives, my son was so blind that he offended you." He knelt on the ground as soon as he got out, begging for mercy. "Aren''t you a smart one? Begging for mercy already, but it is of no use. You can''t escape the consequences of what you have done." n Leader Hei felt a chill on his back as he nearly broke down, but before he could speak anything, Bing Rong directly pulverized the whole estate to the ground. Killing all the cultivators in it leaving only the n Leader. "I shall spare the children to leave a way out for your n. Remember to have eyes in your next life." The n Leader felt a bone-chilling fear as he watched Bing Rong, knowing that nothing he said could change the oue. His voice quivered as he tried to speak, but no words came out. She waved her hand and turned the n Leader into dust. She left towards the city exit after dealing with the city lord. A lot of the surrounding cultivators came out of hiding from the nearby alleys and buildings. Looking at the ruins of the once glorious Hei n, They felt both fear and awe for the might of the woman who single-handedly annihted the whole n. "Which Senior did these idiots offend to end up like this?" One curious spectator asked in a low voice, hispanion shook his head and replied with a hint of fear in his voice, "It will be better for us to not talk about this. It will be a problematic time ahead for us poor folks in Shadowveil City, all the other ns will fight for the position of the strongest n, and all the assets that the Hei n left behind." Other spectators also joined in on their discussions, "We should leave the city for some time with our families until the storm calms down." The other spectators continued the discussion, looking at the ruins of the Hei n from time to time. ¡­ Shen Yuan reached near the ce where theynded before entering the city. Shen Yuxin pulled out the flying ship from her storage ring. The ship expanded in mid-air, its sleek, elegant design reflecting the sunlight as it hovered above Shen Yuan and others. Shen Yuan kept ncing back at the city, and Shen Yuxin, noticing this, smiled and said, "Don''t worry about her, she will be here soon." Shen Yuan nodded his head as he turned his face away from the city, just then he felt a gust of wind blowing towards his face. Bing Rong came in front of him and asked with a faint smile which melted a little ice from her face, "Were you worrying about me Yuan''er." Shen Yuan heaved a sigh as he said, "It''s just that I''m not used to you being alone outside the house. So, it''s good to have you back Sister Bing." Bing Rong felt her heart melt at his words as she nodded slightly without further speaking. Shen Yuxin spoke up at this time. "Alright, let''s head back to Manor, it''s about time we return. It''s been nearly a week since we left." Huo Rong also nodded her head quickly, "I also miss home now, it feels like forever since we were back." They all boarded the ship as it began flying towards their manor. Bing Rong came towards Shen Yuan and asked, "Aren''t you curious about where I went earlier in the city?" She asked with a curious tone as Shen Yuan didn''t ask anything of her when she returned. Shen Yuan smiled slightly, "I was waiting for you to bring up the matter, after all, if it''s something you wish to tell me then you will, and if it''s something you don''t want to then I can''t really force you." "There isn''t much to hide, I just went to Hei n to settle the matter. Now they won''t bother you again." Bing Rong exined in a light tone as if talking about breakfast. Shen Yuan felt that something was amiss, after all the feud of killing their young lord couldn''t be solved that easily, but he decided to ignore it as it didn''t really matter as long as she was safe. "Well that''s good then, one less problem to solve in the future. Now let''s return home. We have been out for far too long." Shen Yuan spoke as he began walking towards their room. Bing Rong nodded and followed after him. After reaching the room, Shen Yuan asked "How long will it take for us to reach the Manor, Mom?" Shen Yuxin smiled lightly as she replied, "We will be there soon, it won''t take much time." Shen Yuan nodded as the distance wasn''t much but only a few hundred million km this time. He was getting used to the ridiculous scale of this world slowly. They all sat down and started chatting, talking about their experience in Shadowveil City and what happened at the end. ¡­ They soon reached the manor as they parked the ship outside and stepped down from it. The familiar sight of the manor came into view. The towering gates are designed with mythical beasts. The maids opened the door to wee them, bowing as they said in unison, "Wee Home, Young Master Yuan, Mistress Shen, Lady Bing, and Lady Huo." Shen Yuan and the others nodded in acknowledgment as they moved inside the manor. Finally feeling at peace after returning home. Shen Yuan took a deep breath as he reached the garden, the air making him feel peace as he spoke, "Home sweet home." Huo Rong said with a smile as she saw Shen Yuan''s actions, "It feels good to be back home right?" Bing Rong nodded in agreement as she also smiled lightly to be back home, Shen Yuxin went to sit on her chair as she said, "Yes, it feels good to be back finally. Now what shall we do since we are back?" Chapter 71: Feast Shen Yuan looked up as he saw the setting sun and spoke, "Well since it''s evening already we can chat here for a bit and then go to sleep after eating something. We can decide what to do tomorrowter." Bing Rong nodded in agreement, "Sounds like a n to me. I brought some food from the city as well so we can eat it as a souvenir from there." Huo Rong looked at her for a moment as she asked, "Don''t we have chefs for that already in our manor?" Bing Rong''s hand twitched a little as she replied with a slightly red face, "Well, yes, we do have chefs at home, but¨C" Before she could continue, Huo Rong interjected, "But you forgot about that, were you thinking that we would take some time maybe on the ship?? Hmm??" "No, I just thought it would be good to try the food together, to mix things up a little. We have been eating what the chefs are making for too long already." She replied hurriedly with a red face, trying everything in her power not to admit that she forgot they had chefs back at home. Shen Yuan smiled as he spoke before Huo Rong could question her again, "I like that idea a lot, let''s eatter what Sister Bing brought back together with what the Chefs prepared." Shen Yuxin smiled warmly at Shen Yuan, seeing how he was looking after Bing Rong already. "Let''s have a little feast in the garden, it will be interesting to change things a bit." Shen Yuan and Huo Rong smiled and agreed as they also wanted to try something different. Bing Rong''s face softened with relief, her earlier embarrassment fading little by little, "Let''s, let''s make preparations for a huge buffet." "I also bought quite a bit of alcohol from Shadowveil City, let''s drink wine with food." He never got to drink alcohol before because he was too young for it back then. Now, he would finally be able to drink it with his family and enjoy theirpany. ¡­ As the evening settled in and the world got covered in darkness, the group began preparation for their little feast in the garden. The garden was beautifully lit with soft, warm candle lights which glowed like fireflies by the manor''s maids. Bing Rong and Huo Rong ced arge nket in the center of the garden, arranging food that Bing Rong brought from the Shadowveil City along with what the chefs prepared in the manor. The nket was filled with all kinds of delicacies that looked and smelled heavenly. The rich aroma of the food spread throughout the whole garden, making Shen Yuan drool. He controlled himself from diving straight to eating as he joined in to help set up some things and took out the wine. He carefully uncorked one of the wine gourds, the fragrance of the wine wafting into the air as he poured it into four sses. It was his first time trying alcohol with his family, and he was pretty happy to drink with them. Shen Yuxin watched with a warm smile on her face as Shen Yuan, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong busied themselves with the preparations for the feast. She felt a deep sense of contentment seeing how close they were and the peaceful environment around them, she also felt pride in seeing how Shen Yuan turned out to be such a fine young man. Once everything was ready, they all sat down together on the nket, with all the food and wine served in front of them. The sky above then was filled with twinkling stars, each one shining brightly in the clear night sky. ''The sky is clear here, unlike my previous life where the sky was filled with pollution and I couldn''t even see the stars clearly.'' Shen Yuan looked towards the moon as he smiled slightly when he remembered something. He turned his face towards the three women sitting with him as he spoke in a soft and gentle voice, "Isn''t the moon lovely tonight?" Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong looked up as they agreed with him as Huo Rong replied, "Yes, it''s very lovely tonight." She replied in a gentle tone with a sweet smile. Bing Rong also chimed in, "It looks very lovely tonight." Shen Yuxin smirked lightly as she added, "So are you, Yuan''er." Shen Yuanughed lightly and felt good for some reason. He raised his ss, smiling lightly towards his family, "To us, and to many more nights toe like this." Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong raised their sses as well, toasting their bond and the peaceful moment they were sharing. Shen Yuan took a gulp of wine as thedies took a sip elegantly, savoring the taste of it. "This is damn delicious!" Shen Yuan said, surprised as he felt that the taste of this wine was much better than the one he drank in the training ground. "Can''t believe I was missing out on such good wine." Huo Rong giggled at his words as she spoke, "This is not even a high-quality wine, Yuan''er. If you want to, you cane to our sect to taste the High Tier Spirit Wine, one of the elders there is a Brewing Master. All her wines are top ss." Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up as he nodded his head, "Sure sure, I will visit your sect soon to taste such fine wine." Bing Rong smiled lightly as she added, "But she doesn''t share her wine with outsiders, so you will have to work on your charming skills to try your luck." Shen Yuan listened to her words as he turned to look at his mother, "Don''t look at me, I won''t help you with this stuff." She lightly giggled as she saw her face, but she couldn''t let him rely on her too much for everything. So she decided to let him handle this himself. "I will think about something when the timees. Let''s start eating for now." They began eating, savoring the various dishes with delight. The food from the city was a notch below what the chefs at the manor cooked, but nheless, it was delicious. As they ate and drank, they talked andughed, sharing stories and memories from the past. After some time, Shen Yuxin leaned back, looking up at the sky. "The stars are so bright tonight. It''s almost as if they''re celebrating with us." Huo Rong nodded in agreement with a smile, taking another sip of her wine. "It''s a perfect night. We should do this more often." Bing Rong, who had been quietly enjoying the moment, spoke up. "I''m d we decided to do this. It''s nice just to rx and enjoy each other''spany." Shen Yuan looked at the three of them and thought inwardly, ''What more can a man ask for in life?'' He smiled with contentment as he saw his family happily chatting with each other. As the night grewte, they continued enjoying the food and wine, eventually, the conversation grew more rxed and intimate due to the effects of wine. Eventually, Huo Rong and Bing Rong began to feel the effects of the wine as their eyelids felt heavier. Huo Rong stretched and yawned, putting her ss down, "I think it''s time for me to head back. I''m already sleepy from drinking all this wine." Bing Rong agreed as well with a small smile on her face, "Me too, it''s been a long day, it''s about time we rest." Chapter 72: Spending A Night With Mother [R18] [A/n- Read the author note.] Shen Yuan and Shen Yuxin nodded in understanding that it was gettingte. "Goodnight, Sister Huo, Sister Bing," Shen Yuan said as they got up to leave, "Rest well." "Goodnight to you as well, Yuan''er and Master." Huo Rong spoke as she and Bing Rong left for their rooms. Shen Yuxin watched them go with a sweet smile on her face before turning her head back towards Shen Yuan, she asked gently, "Shall we head to our room as well, Yuan''er?" He nodded his head, the atmosphere subtly shifted as he replied "Yes, it''s time we head to bed as well." Shen Yuan and Shen Yuxin got up and left the garden. They walked side by side through the dimly lit hallway. All the manor maids had already left the ce. As they reached the gate of their room, Shen Yuxin gently ced a hand on Shen Yuan''s arm, stopping him for a moment as she looked at his eyes with an ambiguous gaze, "Yuan''er," she began, her voice barely above a whisper, "I''m d that we are back home." Shen Yuan took a moment to observe her, the moonlight filtering through the nearby windows highlighting her delicate yet amazing features. Her eyes held a warmth that made his heart sweet, a mix of affection as well as something deeper, which had been brewing between them ever since he revealed his past life. "I''m d too, Mom. It''s good to be back with you at our home." He replied in an equally soft voice, as if afraid that he would break a delicate ss. He couldn''t help but notice how close they were standing, the familiar scent of her body filling his senses as he felt a little hot. Shen Yuxin''s hand left his arm slowly, almost as if teasing him. Shen Yuan felt a shiver down his spine as he felt her hand sliding down his arm. She turned and opened the door to their room. Shen Yuan''s eyes widened in shock as he saw the inside of the room. The entire room was decorated in red, the walls were draped with velvet curtains. Arge bed in the center dominated the room with a crimson bedsheet lying on top of it. The room was filled with small candles flickering with evesting pink mes, making the atmosphere even more ambiguous. And the rose petals on the bed weren''t helping Shen Yuan to calm down either. A bottle of fine wine and two sses were ced on the table at the side of the room. Shen Yuxin entered after Shen Yuan and closed the door, she smiled softly with a slightly red face as she spoke, "How do you like the room decorated, Shen Yuan?" Shen Yuan took a deep breath as the fragrance of the room filled his senses, he observed that the atmosphere had changed, it was now more¡­intimate. "This¡­" He was speechless for a bit as he took another deep breath to calm down and continued, "It''s beautifully decorated, Mom." He couldn''t think of anything other than this even after thinking for a while. Shen Yuxin smiled lightly, "Yuan''er," her tone filled with tenderness, "The evening was wonderful, wasn''t it?" "It was," He agreed with a nod as he moved closer towards her. The distance seemed to vanish between them as he could feel the heat radiating from her body. Shen Yuxin reached out with her hand, cing it in his chest, "You have grown so much," she murmured as if talking to herself, "I''m so proud of the man you have be, Yuan''er." Shen Yuan heard her heartfelt words and ced a hand on top of her hand, "It''s thanks to you for raising me, Mother." For a moment, they simply stood there, their hands intertwined as they felt each other''s touch. After some time, as if awoke from a dream, "Let''s change clothes first." Shen Yuxin spoke as she looked at their clothes which they changed into for the evening party. Shen Yuan nodded as he left her hand and stepped back with a smile, Shen Yuxin felt a little lost when Shen Yuan left her hand, but she soon regained her senses as she left behind the screen to change with a small smile and a little red face. Shen Yuxin disappeared behind the screen, leaving Shen Yuan alone standing in the middle of the room, his heart raced from the intense emotions that had built up between them. He could hear the faint rustle as she changed her clothes, his mind wandered as he reflected on their time together. Even though this night was not unexpected to him, it was still something worth making him thrilled and nervous. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, the atmosphere in the room was thick with tension. He moved to the corner of the room where his clothes were ced. He undressed as he began changing tofortable nightwear. He couldn''t shake the feeling that something significant was about to happen, something that would forever change the rtionship between him and his mother. As he changed, his thoughts continued to wander, drifting back to the way Shen Yuxin looked at him. It was as if she was silently conveying something that she couldn''t muster the courage to speak aloud. When he finished changing, he came back to the middle of the room and sat down on the bed, his eyes fixated on the screen where Shen Yuxin was changing her clothes. The anticipation was almost overwhelming as he poured a ss of wine from the table to calm himself. The wine was rich and smooth, soothing his tense nerves. After a few moments, Shen Yuxin walked out from behind the screen, now dressed in a revealing white nightgown that clung to her figure in all the right ces, enhancing her seductiveness. She looked at Shen Yuan with a gentle smile, but her eyes revealed mischievousness as she looked at his shocked reaction. Shen Yuan''s breath caught in his throat as he took in the sight of his mother. She was breathtaking, and the way she looked at him made his heart skip a beat. The tension between them is palpable as if only the two of them exist in the entire world. Shen Yuxin walked closer to him, her steps slow and deliberate. She sat down beside him on the bed, her hand once again finding their way to his chest, "Yuan''er," she whispered, her voice low but filled with passion, "I want you to know how much you mean to you. After all these years¡­you have be my everything." Shen Yuan ced his hand over hers, feeling the warmth of her touch. He looked into her eyes, seeing not a shred of falsehood in them and the evesting love that they conveyed which had only intensified and bordered on craziness, "Mother," he began, his voice trembling slightly as he opened his heart towards her, "I¡­ I don''t know what I would have done or what I would have be without you. You have been my light in this dark world." For a moment, they simply gazed into each other''s eyes, ignoring the rest of the world. Shen Yuxin leaned closer, her breath warm against his cheeks, "Yuan''er," she murmured, "I want to be with you, to be close to you¡­forever." Chapter 73: Spending A Night With Mother II [R18] Her words sent a shiver down his spine as he found himself leaning forward as well, closing the distance between them. The moment felt as if it was meant to be as if the Grand Dao itself proimed this moment to arrive. Their lips were just a breath away from meeting as Shen Yuxin paused, her eyes searching for his for a moment. It was as though she was giving him one final chance to consider his decision, to make sure he wanted to cross the line one could never uncross. But, Shen Yuan didn''t pull away. Instead, he closed the distance himself, his lips brushing against hers in a soft, and gentle kiss. The contact was electric, sending a wake of heat through both of them since it was their first time doing something this intimate with the intent of going all the way. It was gentle at first, almost shy as if two lovebirds were kissing for the first time, but the emotions that had been pent up all night quickly took over. Shen Yuxin responded with equal eagerness as her hand, which was resting on his chest, wrapped around his neck, and pulled him closer. The kiss deepened, bing more passionate as they both gave in to the feelings they had been holding for so long. All sounds cease to exist as they get lost in their own sinful world, the bond between them growing stronger than ever with a different intent. The boundaries that had once separated them as mother and son became blurry, reced by something far more intense. Shen Yuan also moved his hands to embrace her back, her chest pressing against his as he felt the softness of them on his chest. He lightly rubbed her back as he felt how smooth her skin was. As they finally broke apart after what felt like an eternity, both breathless and flushed, Shen Yuxin rested her forehead against his as she savored the closeness they now shared and the taste on her lips. "Yuan''er," she lightly whispered, her voice filled with love and desire, "I want to be with you¡­tonight¡­and for eternity." Shen Yuan''s heart pounded in his chest as he heard what his mother said, he nodded his head as his own feelings were simr to what she was feeling, "Me too, Mother... I also want to spend an eternity together with you." Shen Yuxin''s eyes lit up with joy and satisfaction at his answer, the pure and genuine smile on her face was a sight to behold. She leaned in, nting a tender kiss on his lips, her hands moving from her neck to cup his cheeks. "Yuan''er, my dear, we''ll make this the most unforgettable night of our lives." She guided him as they went to the center of the bed. Shen Yuxin''s hand dropped to the hem of her nightgown, without hesitation she asked in a sultry voice, "Shall we¡­begin?" She waited for his approval, her heart racing in anticipation. Shen Yuan nodded his head with a surge of excitement and nervousness. Shen Yuxin''s eyes lit up with fiery passion as soon as she saw Shen Yuan nod his head. She eagerly pulled him closer, passionately hugging him. "Let it be a wild night." She said before locking their lips in a searing kiss, tongues intertwining as they poured every ounce of pent-up desire into their embrace. Shen Yuan''s hands roamed freely over her curves, caressing her soft skin. Shen Yuxin''s nightgown was quickly discarded, revealing her wless form in all its glory. She looked at Shen Yuan with a fiery gaze, guiding his hand to her breast, moaning softly "Ahh~" his touch ignited a fire inside her. Shen Yuan''s heart pounded in his chest as he heard Shen Yuxin''s sensual moan and felt her softness against his palm. Her body trembled lightly as he continued ying with her breast. They continued kissing while exploring each other''s bodies. Shen Yuxin ced her hand on top of his crotch, caressing it softly as she felt the hardness and girth of it filling her hand. She got wet just from touching his dick. Shen Yuan felt her touching his dick, making it twitch as he embraced her tightly to feel her heat on her. She began caressing it slowly, thickening the tension in the air. Shen Yuan removed his hand from her breast and grabbed her bountiful ass with both hands. Kneading them to his heart''s content as the naked touch made him hot from inside. She moaned in his mouth, getting wetter from him ying with her ass as her thighs began bing wet little by little. Shen Yuxin broke the kiss as they both breathed heavily. Trying to maintain theirposure as She took a deep breath, looking passionately in Shen Yuan''s eyes. "Sit down at the corner of the bed, Yuan''er. I want to taste you." She said seductively as she went down and stood straight in front of the bed. Shen Yuan became excited looking at her mesmerizing expression and pose. He went ahead and sat down at the edge of the bed, looking eagerly at what Shen Yuxin would do next. Shen Yuxin slowly walked closer to him, swaying her hips slightly as she kneeled down in front of him, looking at him from below with a sultry smile. She reached with her hands to remove his underwear, grabbing it gently, she looked up with a mischievous smile. Shen Yuan got a bad feeling but before he could react, She used mes to burn away all of his underwear, not even leaving a thread. Shen Yuan''s eyes widened in shock as he saw what she did, but he soon calmed down as he saw her reaching her hand towards his dick. She grabbed his dick with her hand, stroking it lightly. She licked her lips as she felt its hotness against her palm. Shen Yuan grabbed the bedsheet as he saw her moving her head towards his dick. She sniffed his dick a little as she felt that it was the best scent she has ever smelled, it was intoxicating. Little did she know it was due to his dual cultivation physique, making its user the best possible partner to have dual cultivation with. She rolled her tongue out, licking the top of his dick as she felt the taste to be weird but addictive, it was like the best taste she ever had. She continued licking all over it, moving her tongue downwards as she licked his dick all over the ce. After having her fill licking it, she gulped it down in one go. Filling her mouth with its sheer size, she began moving her head up and down, tasting it and sucking on it. Shen Yuan''s hand left the bedsheet as he moved his right towards Shen Yuxin''s head, caressing her head lovingly, "Damn Mom, you are good at it. Your mouth feels heavenly." Heplimented her as Shen Yuxin raised her head a little, still sucking on his dick as she winked at him. At this point, her pussy waspletely wet with her nectar, she brought her right hand below her and began rubbing her pussy while continuing sucking his dick. Shen Yuan felt his dick twitch as he saw his mother pleasuring herself while sucking his dick. Chapter 74: Forbidden Pleasure I [R18] He never expected such a day toe, looking at his mother, who was excitedly sucking his dick, he felt as if this was heaven. She continued sucking his dick while pleasuring herself, exploring her own petals. She felt his dick twitch in her mouth as she looked to see the eagerness on his face. She elerated her sucking as she massaged his balls while sucking his dick, she looked up to see Shen Yuan still rubbing her head. "I''m going to cum soon, Mom. Take my load in your mouth." Shen Yuan spoke with heaving breaths as he felt his orgasm building. Shen Yuxin nodded in excitement as after a few moments, she felt his semen pouring into her mouth, she tried to drink it all but it was too much for her. Some spilled out from the corner of her mouth as she pulled her head back. Looking up at Shen Yuan, she licked her lips clean of his cum as she made an ahegao face at Shen Yuan by rolling her tongue out, letting a bit of semen and her saliva drip down. "Huuf¡­huuf," Shen Yuan took deep breaths after unleashing his load inside Shen Yuxin''s mouth, looking at her with passion-filled eyes as he saw her licking her lips clean. "I-It was wonderful, mom. Truly it felt otherworldly." Shen Yuanplimented her after catching his breath. Shen Yuxin stood up as she pulled out her fingers from her pussy, her juice staining her fingers as she looked at him teasingly, raising her wet hand towards her own face. She lightly licked her fingers to taste her juices, "Hmm~," she moaned softly looking at Shen Yuan. "Now it''s my turn to taste you, my lovely mother." He spoke as he pulled her closer, while Shen Yuxin used water qi to cleanse her finger and mouth. Shen Yuan smiled lightly as he saw her consideration towards him. He grabbed her checks and gave her a deep kiss, feeling her soft red lips on his, making a sloppy wet mess of her face again and only left when he felt that he had taken enough of her luscious lips. "Ah~ How will you now taste me, Yuan''er? Or will you go directly to the next step?" Shen Yuxin asked yfully as she sat beside him on the bed. "Hmm, I have got an idea, I read the books that you got from Sister Bing and Sister Huo, let''s try that." He spoke with a mischievous smile, while Shen Yuxin wanted to ask what he saw in those books, she decided to keep it to herself for now and see what Shen Yuan wanted to do. His eyes zed with lust as he let go of his inhibition, "Lie down on the bed." He spoke as if giving an imperial order. Shen Yuxin felt her pussy tingling as sheplied excitedly, lying down on her back on the bed. Shen Yuan looked at her alluring legs and moved his gaze upwards, looking at her clean pink pussy, which was wet from her juices. Then he saw her sexy belly, her toned muscles were a testament to her intense training. Her pink erect nipples were a sight to behold. And the cherry on top was her shy face as he fluttered her eyshes looking shyly at Shen Yuan, "Enjoying what you are seeing?" She asked in a teasing voice albeit shyly. Shen Yuan lewdly smiled as he replied in a voice filled with lust, "How can I not enjoy seeing my beautiful mother lying on the bed naked, inviting me to explore her" He slowly moved towards her as he finished speaking, sliding his hands upward her legs as his touch sent shivers down Shen Yuxin''s spine. Shen Yuan finally reached his destination, the pink flower petals wet with morning dew. He sniffed lightly as Shen Yuxin went beet red at his actions. She instinctively tried to close her legs but they only ended up squeezing Shen Yuan''s face, and he enjoyed every bit of it. "Rx, Mom." He said gently as he moved his face closer to her pussy. He rolled his tongue for a gentle lick, which sent shivers down Shen Yuxin''s spine. "Mmnh~" She moaned softly as Shen Yuan started to lick her. Her taste was sweet as if it was honey, he just couldn''t have enough of her. He continued licking her and tasting every inch of her heavenly petals, Shen Yuxin moved her hands closer to Shen Yuan''s head as she grabbed it, and pushed him down. "Ahn~ lick me harder!" She nearly screamed as Shen Yuan excitedly began eating her out. Shen Yuxin shivered from head to toe as after a while she orgasmed on Shen Yuan''s face. Her juices gushed out like a spring as she felt rxed, meanwhile, Shen Yuan drank it as if it was a heavenly elixir, not letting a drop slip. But even then he couldn''t control it all as some still slipped down his mouth, he licked her pussy clean as he moved upward. Now, he was face to face with Shen Yuxin. She looked at him coquettishly, "It was amazing, Yuan''er. How did I taste?" Sheplimented him first before asking a question. But then she noticed the glistening liquid at the corner of his mouth, her eyes twinkling with yfulness as she moved toward his mouth. Shen Yuan raised his eyebrow while looking at her actions, but before he could ask what she was doing, she pulled her tongue out and licked the liquid from Shen Yuan''s face. Shen Yuan smiled lightly as he also brought his hand up and started ying with her breasts, her erect nipples still teasing his palm. "You tasted like the sweetest nectar I had ever had, Mom. I can''t even describe the taste, it was so incredible." He praised her highly and Shen Yuxin''s ears turned red due to his praise. Shen Yuan didn''t feel as if he said anything wrong, but only that he couldn''t describe the taste enough. Shen Yuxin lowered her head as she spoke in a low whisper, "...take me." Shen Yuan''s eyes zed with lust and yfulness as he pushed her down and came on top of her. He put his hand on the side of her head, asking in a voice filled with yfulness. "What did you say? Can you repeat it again? I was so focused on looking at your beauty that I didn''t hear it." He added in the end so his mother wouldn''t get angry at him for being yful. Shen Yuxin turned red again at his teasing, this time she boldly looked into his eyes as she spoke, emphasizing each word, "I Want You To Take Me." Shen Yuan passionately looked towards Shen Yuxin as he positioned his dick in front of her pussy, rubbing it slightly as Shen Yuxin felt excited just with this. "Are you ready?" he leaned forward and asked seductively. Shen Yuxin nodded her head with a "Mmnh" sound, looking adorable as Shen Yuan couldn''t resist and took a bite out of her sexy red lips. He slowly pushed his dick inside her pussy, she grabbed the bed sheets tightly as she felt him entering inside her most private area. Chapter 75: Forbidden Pleasure II [R18] Shen Yuan took a deep breath as he pushed his dick deeper. He looked at his mother and her nervous expression, "It''s ok, Mom, rx. I''m here for you." He said to her in a soothing voice to calm her nerves. Shen Yuxin calmed down and Shen Yuan took this moment to push his dick deeper inside of her, he felt some resistance but he didn''t stop and pierced his dick in one thrust. Shen Yuxin shuddered lightly as she felt something precious was taken from her. A tear slid down her cheeks as Shen Yuan got flustered and worried that he might have unknowingly hurt her, he hurriedly stopped and coupled her face, asking nervously, "Are you ok, Mom? Did it hurt?" Shen Yuxin smiled gently as she replied, "I''m just happy Yuan''er, I''m finally one with you. We will stay together from now on. Not only as mother and son but as lovers or maybe husband and wife." She was genuinely happy right now. She had unknowingly fallen in love with him after spending all this time together, even though she didn''t know when she started falling for him. Now her wish was finally fulfilled as she was really happy, so happy that she couldn''t help but shed a tear. Shen Yuan rxed, she smiled wryly, "You really scared me to death, Mom." He paused, looking at her beautiful face as she tilted her head to listen to what he was saying. He continued with a gentle smile, "I''m also very happy that we can finally be together, now we will live together, for an eternity." What they both missed was the monstrous waves of qi flowing inside Shen Yuan, the amount was enough to devastate half of the Eastern Deste. But a few powers were keeping it in check, making innumerable seals around it to keep it locked inside his dantian and refine it slowly. It was due to the mix of Primordial Yin and Primordial Yang of Shen Yuan and Shen Yuxin. Yue Lan and Primal Harmony Physique worked in tandem to keep it in check. They both locked all the monstrous qi and essence inside Shen Yuan''s dantian as this was what Shen Yuxin discussed with Yue Lan before. Both Shen Yuxin and Yue Lan knew that the current Shen Yuan couldn''t withstand the full power of Shen Yuxin''s Primordial Yin. He would have most likely burst from the excess energy. So they decided to do this instead as Shen Yuan would also benefit from it. Yue Lan also blocked all the system messages from disturbing Shen Yuan''s special night. They were about the activation of the system, its new function, etc. Which she deemed unworthy to focus on as she enjoyed spying on Shen Yuan and Shen Yuxin''s intimate moments. ¡­ Yue Lan was in her human form, but due to her extremely high level of existence, the mortal words were not enough to describe her appearance. She was lying inside a pinkish room on top of her giant fluffy bed, which she created inside Shen Yuan''s spiritual sea. She was naked as she watched Shen Yuan''s current activities. She was naked watching everything happening outside, cheering for Shen Yuan from time to time when he did something intimate with Shen Yuxin. "Ugh, damn this avatar, due to Shen Yuan''s desires, it has be perverted." She groaned as she yed with her breast while looking at Shen Yuan''s majestic dick. "I swear I will have my revenge one day. See if I don''t fuck you for three days and three nights straight." She cursed as she started ying with her glistening pussy. ¡­ Shen Yuxin also benefited from his Primordial Yang, which Yue Lan used to refine her bloodline and physique. They were already one of the best inside the Deste Continent, but with this upgrade, they would only make her invincible among her generation. Shen Yuan calmed down from the little distraction as he lightly spoke, "Shall we continue?" Shen Yuxin replied with only a nod as Shen Yuan smiled in excitement. He slowly began pushing his dick in her pussy. "Ungh~" Shen Yuxin moaned softly as she had never expected such pleasure before. Shen Yuan''s face turned red from excitement as he pulled his dick back, and thrust it back inside her. "Ahh~" Shen Yuxin this time moaned loudly as she didn''t expect this sudden attack. She arched her back as Shen Yuan began thrusting his dick inside of her. "Yesh, ahh~, Yuan''er!" She moaned loudly while calling his name, which only made him hornier as he just couldn''t resist the current image of Shen Yuxin. He moved his face closer and captured her lips in a kiss, Shen Yuxin''s eyes widened at his abrupt attack but she soon closed them and hugged his neck, bringing his face closer as she enjoyed each moment of this time. Shen Yuan began ying with her boobs while fucking her pussy, he just couldn''t stop ying with her sexy body. She was like the most dangerous enchantress, but she was also his mother. And this only added to his forbidden pleasure. She continued kissing him and soon their faces became a wet mess, same for theirher region. Sloppy wet sounds filled the room together with their sultry voices. She moaned loudly, fuelling Shen Yuan''s lust. Shen Yuan was also having sex for the first time, he couldn''t believe how good he was feeling right now. And him having sex with his mother only made the whole thing even more exciting for him. He broke the kiss as both of them took deep breaths, but even then he didn''t stop thrusting his dick inside of her, her pussy already became a wet mess. Her liquid sliding down her thigh as she felt the heavenly pleasure too much. She moaned loudly, screaming, "Ahh~ I''m cumming, Yuan''er!" She cummed as Shen Yuan felt her pussy tightening around his dick. Her liquids gushing out, which only made her pussy even more wet. But Shen Yuan didn''t stop as he pushed her down on the bed and continued fucking her. Chapter 76: End [R18] Shen Yuxin continued to moan as Shen Yuan wasn''t giving her a break. Shen Yuan felt his dick twitching, he spoke while still fucking her pussy, "I-I''m going to cum." He grunted as he spoke. Shen Yuxin''s eyes moved as she looked at him, she spoke with an eager smile, "Cum inside me, Yuan''er!" Her pussy tightened around his dick as she was also close to her orgasm. Shen Yuan didn''t even think of the consequences as the only thing on his mind right now was to fill Shen Yuxin with his seed. He thrust his dick deep into her pussy and her pussy constricted around his dick, they both shivered slightly as they orgasmed at the same time. Shen Yuxin lost the count of her orgasms after the fourth one as this was Shen Yuan''s first orgasm. "Ugh" He grunted as he continued to pump his seed inside her, on the other hand, Shen Yuxin''s eyes rolled backward as she felt she had reached heaven. It was the best feeling she had ever had. The only thing with which she couldpare her current feelings was when she broke through her cultivation base. Shen Yuan dropped on top of her after finishing his orgasm, they both took heavy breaths as Shen Yuan raised his head and looked at her, with a smug smile on his face. "How was it, Mom?" He asked with a lustful tone, fully enjoying the taste of this forbidden fruit in the shape of his Mom. Shen Yuxin''s lustrous lips moved as she spoke in a sultry voice, "It was amazing, Yuan''er. I can''t wait for the second round." Shen Yuan''s eyes zed as he stood up, "Get on all fours, let''s try new positions." Hemanded her, Shen Yuxin felt her pussy twitching, and she excitedly obeyed and got on her all fours. Shen Yuan went behind her and grabbed her ass roughly, ''It''s really one big peach.'' he thought as he looked at her perfect peachy ass, which was begging to be spanked and fucked. He couldn''t wait any longer as he excitedly ced his dick on her pussy, rubbing it lightly as he teased her. She felt him teasing her pussy as she wiggled her butt, rubbing it harder on his dick to incite him further. And it truly worked as he couldn''t wait any further. He grabbed her butt with both hands and pushed his dick inside her pussy in one go. Shen Yuxin moaned loudly, "Ahh~" She was already in an embarrassing position as she had her butt raised above her, to face Shen Yuan while her face was buried in a pillow, which only further got buried in it as Shen Yuan pushed his dick deeper into her pussy. She felt him enter deeper inside her as his dick reached unexplored spots, making her excited and wet. Shen Yuan felt his dick twitching just from pushing its entire length inside her this time. Her already wet pussy made it hard for him to resist her. He pulled his dick back out and thrust it deeper again. He just couldn''t have enough of her wet pussy. Her butt was jiggling as well, inciting Shen Yuan. He removed one hand and smacked it down on her right butt. "Ung!!!" Shen Yuxin''s eyes widened as she felt his hand pping her ass, she cummed with just a spank, her fluids staining both Shen Yuan''s dick and the bedsheets. She couldn''t believe that she came just from one spank, her face turning beet red at this realization as she buried her face down in the pillow. Shen Yuan''s excitement surged through the heavens as his dick twitched inside her pussy, he caressed her ass gently after spanking her. "I didn''t know my dear lovely Mom liked getting spanked." He spoke in a teasing tone as he leaned forward while he continued thrusting his dick in and out of her pussy. He didn''t give her a single break as she continued through her orgasm, she didn''t reply to him as she had her face buried in the pillow. Shen Yuxin''s fragrance wafted toward Shen Yuan due to her body heat as he licked her neck, making her shiver under him. He felt his orgasm building as he pushed her down again, shooting his load inside her as he grunted in a low voice. "Haah¡­ Haah¡­ you are truly irresistible, Mother~" he emphasized the word mother this time. Reminding her of their forbidden rtionship. She felt her pussy tingling as she finally raised her head, looking straight at Shen Yuan as he pulled his dick out of her pussy. "And you are irresistible for me as well, my dear Son." She replied to him with equal fervor as Shen Yuan felt his dick harden again. Shen Yuxin smiled seeing it as she stood up, Shen Yuan''s cum and her juices flowing down her pussy as she kneeled again and grabbed his dick, "Let me clean it up for you." She smiled mischievously as she began licking it and sucking it. Shen Yuan grabbed her head, this time no longer as shy nor nervous as before. He boldly said, "Hehe~ why stop at licking." As soon as he finished saying it, he thrusted his dick inside Shen Yuxin''s mouth, making her eyes widen in surprise. But she quickly adjusted as she loosened her muscles and let his dick fuck her mouth. Shen Yuan got even more excited looking at how she cooperated with him, he increased his speed and shot his load inside her mouth. She was prepared this time and swallowed all of his semen, not leaving a single drop to waste. Shen Yuan patted her head as he smiled wickedly, "Hehe, the night is still young~" He jumped on top of her as he finished speaking and started fucking her again. He kissed her red lips and bit them lightly as he felt his excitement surging. He felt like he could keep on sucking on her lips for an eternity as he licked her lips after kissing her. He grabbed both of her arms and out then above her head, holding them with one head as he grabbed her chin with the other. Raising her face slightly, he asked in a tone filled with list, "Are you ready for the night?" Shen Yuxin felt her pussy twitching as she felt his dominating aura filling the room, she nodded her head shyly as Shen Yuan grinned wickedly. As the night continued, he didn''t let her rest for a single second throughout the night. ¡­ Morning birds chirped as Shen Yuan''s eyes fluttered open slowly, he felt lightheaded as he looked to his left and right. And wherever his eyes passed, there was only a wet mess in the whole room, he remembered how wild they were for the whole night. Fucking each other as if only those two existed, he looked at his chest only to smile gently seeing Shen Yuxin sleeping peacefully while hugging him. He could feel his dick still inside of her as they were both naked, and he was still hard. He caressed her ass gently, "Wake up, Mom. Sister Huo and Sister Rong mighte here otherwise." Shen Yuxin moaned slightly as she felt his dick move slightly in her pussy, "Uhmm~ Just five more minutes." She sensually spoke. Chapter 77: Morning And Shen Yuan couldn''t find the strength in him to refuse her, he left her ass and began caressing her head. Patting her lightly as she snuggled closer to him. All of a sudden, he felt a hot energy assaulting his insides of the dantian. He furrowed his brows as he focused his senses inside his dantian. What he found astonished him as there was a big glob of pure energy slowly rotating, but it was looking as if it was going to explode if he didn''t do something about it. Shen Yuan hurriedly asked Yue Lan in a soft voice, "Yue Lan, what is happening in my dantian?" She manifested her cat form in the room, still that cute small thing with white and orange fur. She first sniffed the air as she looked at Shen Yuan and Shen Yuxin, who had opened her eyes by now and was sitting straight. She had a faint idea of what was happening but was still silent and waiting for Yue Lan to tell Shen Yuan. Yue Lan spoke after sniffing the air with her cute nose, [The scent of lust is in the air, you two were really wild thest night from the look of it.] She said in a teasing tone as if she didn''t know what they did. She nced around the room and looked at all the fluids and semen dropped around it. She clicked her tongue as she continued, [You guys really went all out huh.? Shen Yuxin felt her face burning up slightly due to embarrassment. Even if she was a senior cultivator, this was the first time for her. So she couldn''t help but be a little self-conscious. But Shen Yuan didn''t give a damn about it because he felt that his life was hanging by a threat due to the energy ball in his dantian. He hurriedly urged Yue Lan, "What are you spouting nonsense for?! Just tell me what is with me for now." Yue Lan finally focused her gaze on him, looking as if she was seriously looking at what was wrong. She spoke after what felt like an eternity to Shen Yuan. [What did you expect would happen when you would dual cultivate with a cultivator so far beyond your level? Of course in normal cases the weaker cultivator will explode on the spot and die if he doesn''t have any heaven-defying technique or in your case a physique and me.] Shen Yuan lightly hit his head, "How did you forget about this." He remembered about the effects of Dual Cultivation but forgot to consider the consequences when training with a cultivator much beyond his league. Yue Lan didn''t miss this opportunity to give him ament, [Of course, you forgot. Look at how wild you were yesterday.] She said as she once again nced around the room. [It would have been surprising if you actually remembered it. But worry not, me and Yuxin already talked about this. And you shoulde to a different realm for now to fix your cultivation.] Before Shen Yuan could even answer, Yue Lan waked her paw and the both of them disappeared from the room, Shen Yuxin heaved a sigh as she looked at the room, not worrying about Shen Yuan as she knew Yue Lan would help him abosrb the energy or seal it further. Before she could get up and put on some clothes, the gate opened and her eyes widened in shock. Huo Rong and Bing Rong were standing at the door, their eyes filled with shock as they saw a naked Shen Yuxin sitting inside the room. And the scent of their liquids only made things worse as they moved their eyes around the room to see the whole mess. They focused their gazes on Shen Yuxin once again. From the looks of it, they weren''t going to let her go before she answered their question. ''That damn Yue Lan!'' Shen Yuxin cursed inside her mind as she knew Yue Lan was the one who opened the door because she was sure that she locked it before sleeping. ¡­ Shen Yuan was standing inside the garden of a grand mansion, the walls were so tall as if they could reach the Heavens. There were many Pagodas, training grounds, rooms, mansions, etc. It was more of a small city than a grand mansion. Shen Yuan asked what was on his mind as he looked around, momentarily forgetting his dilemma, "What is this ce? Is this another dimension?" Yue Lan, still in her cat form replied proudly, [Witness this creation of the Grand Dao. This is an infinite expanse ofnd that I found immeasurable years ago in a chaotic battlefield, it will act as your dual cultivation chambers from now on. But of course, you would need to pay with Chaos Coins if you want to ess it.] Shen Yuan looked around to see the huge state, and the first thought in his mind was, "How expensive will this be?" He couldn''t believe that Yue Lan would give him anything good for free. [Hehe~ you don''t have to worry about that, it''s free for the first time.] She cleverly dodged the question as she continued speaking so Shen Yuan wouldn''t be hung on the topic. [Oh, I forgot me mention. I muted all of your notifications while you were fucking Shen Yuxin yesterday. The system is back online with some new functions that will be useful for you and your harem.] Shen Yuan felt his hand twitch as he couldn''t wait to p this perverted cat, "Talk elegantly you damn perverted cat. You are a female, why are you acting so crass." Yue Lan tilted her head as she replied innocently, [Weren''t you fucking her though? I thought what''s what you mortals call it. Was I wrong?] She asked with such innocence that Shen Yuan wondered if he was too harsh on her, but then he remembered that she was an old demon who had probably lived for longer than their entire world existed. He ignored her and asked, "Show me my status window and all the notifications that I missed before." Yue Lan shook her head slightly, [You should focus on your cultivation first, you still need to stabilize your foundation and choose a cultivation art, since you broke through without the use of a cultivation art, your strength is weaker than it should have been.] She paused here to let him digest the information after a few moments She continued, [Oh and conveniently you got a Cultivation technique from one of the rewards for dual cultivating with Shen Yuxin yesterday. You should check it out now.] Shen Yuan raised his eyebrow lightly as a system notification came up in front of him. [Ding!] [Congrattions, Host for losing your virginity and dual cultivating for the first time with a cultivator far beyond your current level.] [For such an extraordinary feat, the host is rewarded with the first section of the Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art.] Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up with excitement as it sounded like a super strong technique. He asked in a voice filled with curiousity as he felt that the technique sounded strong, "What is the background of this technique, and what is its rank?" Chapter 78: Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art Yue Lan replied in azy tone as if she was tired from some hard work, [It''s a Half-Immortal level technique, the absolute peak of this world can handle, but it''s only the first section of it, the first section contains the First Three Layers of Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art, which will focus on Qi Gathering Realm, Foundation Establishment Realm, Inner Sea Realm-] Before she could finish, Shen Yuan interrupted her, since he wasn''t in any danger he decided to ask a little first, "Can you first tell me the Tiers of Techniques? I only know three tiers- Mortal, King, and Emperor, all three are further divided into four sublevels- Low, Mid, High, and Peak. What is above these?" Yue Lan nodded her head and began exining, [There are five tiers by which the techniques in the mortal world are divided, Mortal, King, Emperor, Sovereign, and Supreme. Each level is divided into four sublevels as you have said. And above these levels are Half-Immortal Level techniques, which are so exceedingly rare that you might not even find 10 in an entire ne of existence.] Shen Yuan felt as if he had gotten a greater fortune as he eagerly asked, "What about the Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art?" Yue Lan''s tone turned a little more serious as she looked straight at Shen Yuan and replied, [The Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art is a Half-Immortal level Cultivation Technique designed by the Purity Sage in a different ne.] Shen Yuan began curious about him as he asked, "Who was the Purity Sage?" Yue Lan paused slightly as after a moment of silence, she continued, [He was one of the brightest stars during his reign. He created this art to make the strongest foundation throughout the history of all realms for breaking through to the Immortal World. His ne was special, the shackles were hundreds of thousands of times stronger than your or other nes. That''s why he was left with no choice but to spend his entire life creating and perfecting this technique.] She paused to let him digest the knowledge as she continued after seeing he was keeping up with her, [It''s a technique that devours the world''s essence and forges your own existence as the ultimate vessel for cultivation, even your Chaos Body Forging Technique is only at this level but there is no higher level of that technique.] Yue Lan''s tone became more intense as she continued exining Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art to Shen Yuan, giving him a clear idea about its history and potential. [The Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art is truly one of the unique creations that exist throughout Heaven and Earth. The Purity Sage, who devised this technique was truly an apex genius, he would have stood out even amongst the highest of nes. His ne was both his shackles and his greatest fortune. His ne was so tightly bound by thews of the world that cultivation was almost impossible beyond a certain realm.] Yue Lan continued, [That harsh environment made him innovate, and he began researching different techniques of the whole realm. And this was his final product, he made this not only to break the shackles restricting him but to build an unshakeable foundation for those aiming to ascend beyond the mortal realm. This technique essentially turns your body into a Primordial Vessel, capable of absorbing near infinite amounts of energy.] Shen Yuan, who was lost in the wonderful tale of Purity Sage focused back on the technique as he nodded and asked, "So, it''s a technique that continuously absorbs and refines energy in massive amounts, storing it inside of me and refining my body at every step, making me stronger. How does itpare to other techniques at its level?" Yue Lan gave him a disdainful nce, [Hmph! Haven''t I already told you? It''s the best technique for the mortal realm in existence. Comparison? No such thing exists, there is no technique in all the mortal worlds at its level which can bepared with it. The Primordial Vessel is meant to turn you into a Devouring Entity, absorbing Qi at a rate so high that normal cultivators can only die in despair. But that''s not all the Primordial Vessel itself will constantly purify and enhance the qi which you have stored in your body. You will wield far more Qi than your peers.] Shen Yuan grinned excitedly, already imagining his invincible future self, "What makes the Primordial Vessel so special in the early stages? As far as I know, most techniques, bloodlines, Physiques, etc show their true mightter in the journey." Yue Lany down on the grass as she answered him, [It''s because, in the firstyer of the technique, it will help the user create 365 qi gathering points in their Acupoints, essentially creating 365 mini dantians. It will transform you into a natural nexus for energy. The more Qi you absorb, the more your Primordial Vessel grows, allowing you to hold hundreds of times more power than anyone else at the same stage.] Shen Yuan felt that the technique was too good to be, he carefully mulled over what she said as his eyes widened in shock as he looked at Yue Lan, "Wait wait wait, doesn''t that mean I would have to cultivate hundreds of times more than others at my same level? Fuck! Do I have to cultivate hundreds of years just to finish my Qi refining stage with this??" He cursed as he thought of the implications of such a high-level technique for the current him. Yue Lan jumped up as she looked at him as if she was looking at a clown, [Nyahahaha~ So you finally realized, I thought you wouldn''t even think of it and cultivate the technique without any regard, just like you cum inside Yuxin without thinking of the consequences.] Shen Yuan felt his face burning as if it was indeed his mistake that he forgot to consider that, now that Yue Lan reminded him about that, he started to worry if Shen Yuxin would be pregnant. After all, he cummed inside of her dozens of timesst night. Yue Lan looked amusedly at him and spoke, [You don''t have to worry, your bloodline doesn''t allow for descendants to exist before you are on a high enough level, it annihted all the active seeds yesterday. So you are safe and you do not need to worry about impregnating any of your future women.] Shen Yuan looked relieved as he breathed a sigh of relief, before Yue Lan made fun of him further, he asked her, "Alright, enough about this, tell me what I asked now." Yue Lan sat down on her butt as she began, [Nyah~ You, of course, need hundreds of times or even thousands of times the qipared to others, not only due to Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art but also due to your own Physique, Chaos Body Forging Technique, bloodline, and False Chaos Body,] Even Yue Lan paused as she worded what Shen Yuan possessed, sheughed, amused at his situation as she continued, [Hahaha, you really have some of the greatest fortunes under the Great Dao, but those are your shackles as well. If you were a normal cultivator then you would have probably needed hundreds of times the time required to break through than others. And this is considering your talent. But you are lucky that you are a Dual Cultivator, this significantly shortens the time required to break through if you use this method efficiently.] Chapter 79: Cultivation Regression Shen Yuan finally settled down as he breathed deeply, "I can''t handle your cliffhangers anymore, I will just go ahead and begin cultivation for now." He sat down cross-legged and breathed in deeply, "Give me the Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art, I should get started. But I''m already in the 5th level of Qi Gathering Realm, what will happen then?" Yue Lan jumped in front of him and began exining, [You need not worry about that, you broke through without a cultivation technique, so your foundation is still pure without any outside influence, the Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art will use that excess Qi together with the Primordial Essence of Yuxin, but it''s too much for the current you, so only a part will be used and I will seal it again. You can begin now without worry.] She waved her paw as she finished speaking, sending a wave of light into Shen Yuan''s head, he closed his eyes as the Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art began imprinting into his very soul. He began rapidlyprehending the technique as the qi in the surroundings violently churned, Yue Lan was still sitting there, and none of the qi in the surroundings went even an inch closer to her. All the trees, nts, and grass in the surrounding rustle as the winds begin moving in all directions. Shen Yuan''s cultivation, which was on the 5th level of the Qi Refinement realm, began weakening as his cultivation base dropped from the 5th level to the 4th level. All the excess Qi, which was released from the drop in his cultivation, gathered around him in a sphere, making it look as if it was trying to engulf him. Shen Yuan paid it no heed as he continuedprehending the Cultivation Art, and it revolved inside of him automatically. His cultivation base continued dropping from 4th to 3rd, while Yue Lan looked with eager eyes, "Let''s see how many of the Acupoints you can open as qi vessels. If I remember correctly, Purity Sage was the only one who was able to open 300 Acupoints, and most of his disciples were stuck at 81 or 108, after all, it gets progressively harder the more Acupoints you open. And the pain which follows opening an acupoint¡­hehe, I will take this as my revenge for making me horny and do such shameful things." She spoke aloud with a wicked smile as she knew he couldn''t listen to her now. On the other hand, Shen Yuan''s cultivation had already dropped to 1st level Qi Refinement realm, and it was on the verge of dropping to the Body Forging realm as all of a sudden, the world became still. It was such a terrifying stillness that it could even make the Immortals shiver in fear. The qi sphere surrounding Shen Yuan also became still as one can now see the qi that was previously flowing inside of the sphere. Boom!! All of a sudden, a monstrous amount of qi began leaking from Shen Yuan''s body as his new cultivation technique began working. It drew upon the power of Shen Yuxin''s Primordial Essence, which unleashed a portion of itself and Shen Yuan then began absorbing all of it, both from the surroundings which were leaked, and the direct absorption of the qi from inside of his dantian. But the strange thing was that the qi didn''t stay for long in his dantian, as soon as it was purified, it began running throughout his body. Looking for various Acupoints as the qi attacked not only the Acupoints but also the 12 meridians. It began making small vortexes in the Acupoints. The first ce where they started forming were the hands, one by one a total of seventy-two Acupoints were opened on both of Shen Yuan''s hands, and this was just the beginning. As soon the qi vortexes began forming on his legs Acupoints, they started from his toe and moved upwards, 54 in each leg for a total of 108 Acupoints. Yue Lan nodded in approval as she saw how easily Shen Yuan formed 180 Acupoints without much effort. "Hehe~ the pain wille after all the Acupoints have been opened which a cultivator can open, let''s see you scream like a dying pig hehe." She was still resentful towards Shen Yuan for making her do such lewd acts while watching him, so she was prepared to watch him make a fool of himself as a small revenge. Shen Yuan didn''t lose his focus as he continued channeling the art throughout his body, now focusing on the rest of his body. The qi began looking for Acupoints on his body as they soon made their way towards his spine, 36 strands of qi began opening the Acupoints and making mini vortexes in them. In all of this Shen Yuan''s eyes were closed peacefully as if he couldn''t feel a thing. He was still trying toprehend the Cultivation Art. A lot more vortexes formed on top of his body as Yue Lan counted and stood up in shock. "He has already opened 300 Acupoints on his body, will he be able to unlock all of them?" She thought of something else as anxiousness filled her gaze as she looked at Shen Yuan, "I should have warned him about the pain, it would be unimaginable how painful it might be for him, will he be able to endure it?" She paced left and right anxiously as this was one of the first times in Eons that she was so anxious, and it was even for a mortal boy. Meanwhile, Shen Yuan continued his training as he had already opened 360 Acupoints, leaving only 5, which were the Acupoints of his Sea is Consciousness. He knew he had to be delicate here as even a small mistake can be fatal, he stoppedprehending the technique further as he personally began performing the technique. Carefully guiding the qi strands towards his be, he opened one qi point after another. Finally opening all 5 of them after a few more minutes, but these few minutes felt like an eternity to him as he truly focused himself to the extreme to not make a single mistake. He finally heaved a sigh when he felt that all 365 Acupoints were opened, before he could smile, he felt something ominous as he felt a pain so bad that he felt he was better off dead. His eyes snapped open as they had already changed color to blood red due to extreme tension in his body. The pain was not only on his physical body but it was much more than that, even his soul was affected by the opening of all Acupoints, so he was feeling the pain on the soul level. "Ahhhh!" He screamed as he tumbled forward, clutching his head as his Sea of Consciousness affected the most. Yue Lan moved forward to try to help him but stopped as she knew she couldn''t help him here, lest she risk ruining his future prospects. She gritted her teeth as she looked at him, even her heart bled as she looked at how much he was suffering. Shen Yuan finally adjusted to the abrupt pain as he clenched his teeth and tried to sit down. He put his hand on the ground, trying to get up, only to fail as he fell down. Chapter 80: Cultivation Improvement His hands were violently shaking due to the pain, he couldn''t even sit down properly. He took a few deep breaths despite the pain. His body twitches uncontrobly as he tries to calm down. Shen Yuan clutched his head again as he felt the pain intensifying, it nearly broke his mind but just then, his bloodline, which was dormant this whole time released an ethereal wave of energy that used the energy from Shen Yuan''s dantian to make directly towards his soul. Shen Yuan felt the pain lessen as his condition stabilized somewhat, but then the pain intensified as the qi vortexes that formed inside his Acupoints began gathering energy. Shen Yuan felt his cultivation breakthrough from the first level of the Qi Refining Realm to the second level of the Qi Refining Realm, but he felt not a bit of happiness as he continued to feel the immense pain. The other cultivators on his level never felt even a fraction of the pain he was feeling right now. The absolute majority of the technique''s practitioners only managed to open 81 or 108 acupoints throughout their bodies and stopped at the first level of the Qi Refining realm to stabilize their foundation. None of them were like Shen Yuan, who had an excess of Qi so much that it not only opened all 365 Acupoints but also filled them with Qi as he began breaking through the next level without stopping, and this blessing also became his curse as his suffering continued. This wasn''t supposed to happen, the pain was intended to ur only once during the process of opening the Acupoints, but since his meridians and dantian were filled with energy, it elerated the cultivation process far beyond what any cultivator could have endured. What Yue Lan didn''t know was that, after opening each Acupoint, the cultivator needed to stabilize them and then open the next one. It was a gradual process that should have taken far longer, but due to Shen Yuan''s limited knowledge and the immense reserves of Qi he had in his dantian, it resulted in his current situation. Shen Yuan''s body, which was supposed to gradually turn into a vessel by opening the Acupoints, was forced to adapt to the extreme conditions, which put immense pressure on Shen Yuan''s body, mind, and spirit, the pain was far beyond anyone on his level could endure, even higher levels cultivators would have wished for nothing but death. s, Shen Yuan''s condition didn''t allow that as each time he was on the verge of copse, his bloodline would send some nourishing energy towards his body and spirit to push him further. This drove him to his limits, nearly breaking his mind as he slithered on the ground in extreme agony. "Ahhh!!" Shen Yuan lets out another scream as the vortex reaches a fulfilling point, finishing the Second level of Qi refining Realm. His bloodline also released another wave of gentle energy throughout his body and soul to make him rx, even if it was just for a single but as his cultivation surged once more. Breaking through to the third level his entire body went through another change, making him suffer that much more as he finally gritted his teeth. Now with much greater focus, he gritted his teeth as he tried to get up in a meditative state, but s, he failed. "Ughh" he grunted as he tried again and again, after failing for so long, finally he managed to sit down in a meditative state. This also helped him greatly with qi cirction as Yue Lan also visibly heaved a sigh as she saw him sitting down. ''Come on Shen Yuan, you can''t die yet. If you die then it will be a great loss to me. She thought to herself as she silently watched Shen Yuan while worrying herself over his fate. Meanwhile, Shen Yuan''s cultivation speed was also amplified with the help of his meditative stance, for Cultivators this was the best position to cultivate in as it helps regte the Qi throughout the body. His body still shuddered from time to time as the pain was also increasing together with his cultivation speed. He finally reached the peak of the 3rd level Qi Refining Realm. His Acupoints reached a saturation point as they started to calm down and Shen Yuan also breathed a sigh of relief. But this wasn''t the end of it as his bloodline pulled out another portion of Shen Yuxin''s Primordial Yin Essence, forcing his cultivation to break through to the 4th level of Qi Refining Realm. This time the qi began focusing on his meridians as they began expanding and solidifying, starting his torture again as meridians were much more intricatelybined with a cultivator''s body. This pain was not something a normal cultivator can process, even the practitioner of Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art has to take measures for this level and take various pills and treasures to tone down the pain. Some outright seal their senses of pain, which results in an unstable foundation but they would much rather have a bad foundation than that pain. His meridians were not only being forged but they were being broken down to their smallest particles and being reforged anew to make them much more stronger. With these stronger meridians, he can not only perform cultivation techniques with much greater power but also much greater efficiency. Shen Yuan''s body looked like a cultivation treasure as all the qi surrounding him painted a picture so vivid and breathtaking as if he was an immortal. But only he knew what he had to endure to be in such a picture. The breaking of his meridians pushed him to his limits again, it was a pain worse than what he had to go through when he opened all 365 meridians at once. He felt a in door opening in front of him, but the distance between him and that door remained unsurpassable as he once again returned to reality to face his current situation. After what felt like an eternity to him, he felt his meridians beingpletely reforged as he reached the peak of the 4th level of the Qi Refining Realm. But the Qi which his bloodline pulled previously was too excess as it pushed his cultivation forward, His body exploded with qi as he broke through to the 5th level of the Qi Refining Realm. He didn''t even have the time to make a singlement as he focused on steering his Qi toward the right path so as to not ruin his own body, he continued cultivating like a madman. Forgetting oneself and the world around him as his sole purpose was to survive and improve, even the pain he was feeling seemed insignificant in front of his desire to survive and grow stronger. His cultivation continued improving at a rapid pace as he finished refining his body again with Qi, getting both his meridians and Acupoints on the same level. He soon reached the peak of the 5th level of the qi refining realm as his whole body was drenched in sweat, that soon evaporated due to the extreme heat his body was emitting. Despite his body trembling, he took a deep breath for what was toe. He knew this wasn''t the end of it due to how much energy his bloodline had sucked out from the Primordial Yin Essence. The pressure from the qi continued to build up within his body as he took another deep breath and continued pushing himself further down the abysmal road. His bloodline released another burst of nourishing qi, soothing his muscles and spirit. Before he could heave a sigh of relief something else happened. He could feel that the breakthrough was imminent. The qi within him surged violently as he could feel that this breakthrough would be focused on the very qi inside his body. He broke through to the 6th level of the Qi refining realm. Increasing the quality of his Qi as the focus on this level became his Qi. Yue Lan looked from the side and heaved a sigh of relief as she saw that everything was under Shen Yuan''s control, now as long as his spirit don''t break under the extreme pain, his future will be limitless. Shen Yuan performed the Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art manually to slow down the process, even if by a single bit as he couldn''t let it go out of control any longer. The qi became purer as the color of it changed from a lighter shade to a darker shade. This improvement might seem minor but collectively it is a sight to behold. He could now feel the benefit of cultivating the Chaos Body Forging Technique, if he hadn''t cultivated that technique then his body would have copsed from the enormous pressure that was put on it from the Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art. A normal cultivator could have never cultivated this art even if someone gave it to them, it was nothing but a death sentence. Chapter 81: Peak of Qi Gathering The qi became purer as the color of it changed from a lighter shade to a darker shade. This improvemt might seem minor but collectively it is a sight to behold. He could now feel the befit of cultivating the Chaos Body Forging Technique, if he hadn''t cultivated that technique th his body would have copsed from the ormous pressure that was put on it by the Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art. A normal cultivator could have never cultivated this art ev if someone gave it to them, it was nothing but a death stce. Sh Yuan''s body trembled lightly due to the pain and refinemt of his Qi. His body, which already underwt extreme pressure and pain due to previous refinemt and Acupoints oping, was adapting to this new strain, forging itself anew as his bloodline also helped with sding a wave of ergy towards his direction. During the 6th level of the Qi Gathering Realm, not only did his qi be purer and dser but his body also wt through fortification. The qi within his dantian was much more chaotic than before due to his consecutive breakthroughs, but that''s where his physique came into use as it helped in controlling the chaotic ergy and forged his foundation anew. At this point, his eyes were bloodshot as he roared toward the heavs, "Aughh!" The pain reached intolerable heights for him but his bloodline didn''t let him copse. But it didn''t stop there as his power continued rising, showing not a single but of weakness while his cultivation broke through to the 7th level of Qi Gathering Realm. At this realm where it should have be a simple process of gathering qi in his meridians and dantian, his Qi and Body began harmonizing, and began working towards an unreachable control of power. His Body and Qi perfected his foundation as he got control of all of his power, his technique making the impossible possible as not ev the Emperors and Ancestors of Deste Contint had ever witnessed such an unparalleled evt in their lives. His breathing also stabilized at this level as he felt the pain receding due to his Qi and Body harmonizing and perfecting his technique. He took a few deep breaths as his cultivation stabilized at the 7th level of the Qi Gathering Realm, he oped his eyes, which were bloodshot from all the pain and misery. His pain had reduced but something else shed in his eyes. Yue Lan''s eyes wided in shock as she witnessed his horrifying state, it was extremely rare in the cultivation world but there were instances of such happing. This happed to those who wt mad while cultivating and their only pursuit in life became cultivation and nothing more. Sh Yuan''s eyes were showing signs of madness as his eyes glowed a light red, he didn''t stop to take a break as he manually took out another part of the ergy from Sh Yuxin''s Primordial Yin Essce, the size was far bigger than what had be tak before, but still iparable to its tire size. He began cultivating again, this time his mind filled with madness as the only thing in his mind was cultivation and nothing more, this worried Yue Lan as she could tell that he hadn''t fallpletely into this madness but he wasn''t far from it. He broke through after reaching the peak of harmonizing his Qi and Body, reaching the 8th level of Qi Refining Realm, where Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art began overflowing his body with Qi, forming a natural barrier of Qi which will exist perpetually together with the cultivator as long as he is in an vironmt with Qi. He didn''t stop there as he soon reached the peak of the 8th Level of Qi Gathering Realm. He grunted softly as he broke through to the 9th level of Qi Gathering Realm, the peak of this realm as well as a dividing line betwe mortals and cultivators. A lot of mortals can reach the peak of the Qi Gathering Realm with ough time but they can never break through to the next level, only those who can break through to the Foundation Establishmt realm can be called true cultivators. Hce, this level became increasingly important for Sh Yuan who tried to refine his body into the Perfect Qi vessel with the Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art, but it wasn''t easy as this was the goal of creating the technique, to make the perfect vessel for cultivation. s, Sh Yuan could only make the rudimtary level of Perfect Qi Vessel, which was ough for now as he knew his own limits. The madness didn''t cloud his judgmt as he refined his body again and again, from the very basics as not ev an atom was left unrefined with his Qi. He achieved an unparalleled cultivation body that only the likes of Supreme Qi Bodies canpare with, but those were the gifts of Grand Dao, not something mere insects can cultivate like what Sh Yuan did. He soon reached the peak of the Qi Gathering Realm as he felt the unknown gate again, he was closer to it this time but the gap reminded him of an unsurpassable expanse. He soon withdrew from the weird state as he felt his bottleck, which seemed like heavly shackles due to their sheer might. This wasn''t anything surprising as the stronger the cultivator would be, the higher the power restricting them from breaking through would be. The medicore can only whine in misery as they can''t break through, and the apex giuses takes pride in being recognised by the world as one of the Apex giuses who have to be restricted by the heavs themselves. Yue Lan also heaved a sigh of relief as she saw that Sh Yuan''s condition had stabilized so far, he didn''t try to peer into his condition so she had no idea that the madman was trying to break through to the next level right now. Ev the reincarnation of the Ancit Emperors and Immortals wouldn''t dare to do something so crazy with this cultivation technique. But Sh Yuan had full confidce in the foundation he had built so far. He decided to no longer linger on the issue as he roared with all his might and initiated his breakthrough to the Foundation Establishmt Realm. His body trembled as the immse power gathered by the Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art began surging in all directions with Sh Yuan being the cter. His Qi had be refined to an unprecedted level, only higher-level cultivators or those with Special Physiques couldpare with him in terms of quality, and ev those with Special Physiques would pale inparison to his deep reserve of Qi. His Acupoints and meridians came to life as they also aided him in breaking through to the next level. As he pushed himself further, he felt the invisible barrier that separated him from the next realm. The bottleck was there, palpable, like an immse wall standing betwe him and the next realm, separating them. He could feel the ergy surging within himself, all he needed was one final push as he closed his eyes filled with madness and took a deep breath. His bloodline also stirred slightly as it released a differt type of ergy than the gtle one from before. It seemed to be aiding him in his cultivation, nourishing and healing his body of all the strain that his previous breakthrough put on his body. Yue Lan watched from the side as she finally realized that Sh Yuan was aiming to break through to the next level ev in this condition, she was anxious on the inside for him but still kept her calm demeanor from the outside. ''This bastard¡­ He''s clearly at the d of his rope, why is he pushing himself this far?'' She thought to herself ''Will he be able to make it?'' She wasn''t sure but she hoped that he seeded with all her heart. On the other hand, Sh Yuan knew what the next level tailed, and he was ready to face it, he gathered all of his Qi in his dantian. He took another deep breath before forcing all of his gathered ergy towards his bottleck as this was the most critical time. He steered the pathway of ergy as he broke through and reached the first level of the Foundation Establishmt realm. But he didn''t lose focus for ev a single bit as he channeled all his ergy towards expanding his dantian. Normally cultivators would be purifying their bodies with the Qi and making a pristine foundation for cultivation but Sh Yuan was expanding his dantian due to the guidance of Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art. The art was truly miraculous as it already made him refine his body during the Qi Gathering Realm, ev if his body was refined by the lower level qi of the Qi Gathering Realm it was still beficial for him in the long run. Chapter 82: End of Cultivation Session He focused all of his atttion on expanding his dantian as this was the way of cultivating the Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art. His dantian began expanding rapidly as he channeled all of his will and ergy into his dantian. The pristine foundation that he had built helped him in his deavor. He felt it creaking slightly as it doubled in size, but he didn''t stop as his eyes turned red from his madness. Yue Lan paced back and forth muttering to herself, "I hope he knows wh to stop, otherwise he is not far from Qi Deviation." She couldn''t help him ev if she wanted to because the absolute majority of her powers were sealed currtly, otherwise, she wouldn''t be so passive right now. His bloodline helped him again as it st nourishing ergy towards his dantian, fixing all the cracks inside of it as it became solid again. But this didn''t stop Sh Yuan''s madness as it only made him take further risks, he began sding the excess Qi towards his dantian, expanding it further than what Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art required as he didn''t just want a solid foundation. He wanted the Extreme Foundation that was possible. He continued expanding and expanding not stopping ev once as his bloodline continued fueling his madness. Soon he reached his limit as his dantian stopped expanding after reaching times its previous size, he could feel it. If he expanded it anymore th he might very well explode and die. Sh Yuan decided to channel the remaining power towards breaking through to the next level, not giving his body any rest as it seemed to be reaching its limit due to the reltless breakthroughs. He looked through his memories to check the contt of the Cultivation Art once again as he channeled the power. He felt the breakthrough immint as beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He gritted his teeth and roared, ignoring the emerging pain. He soon breakthroughs to the nd level of the Foundation Establishmt realm, his breath stabilized but he didn''t stop for a second longer. He continued channeling his power towards his meridians, refining them again with his higher level ergy and expanding their capacity to store ergy, since their previous size became insignificant for him at a higher level. But this process once again brought him immse pain, making him shudder from time to time. "Is he a masochist?" Yue Lan wondered, looking at how Sh Yuan was once again beating his own body. She stopped worrying about him as that seemed a useless deavor to her at this point. She realized that this madman was not only crazy but a masochist as well, "Sigh, he won''t be able to break through for quite some time with these consecutive breakthroughs. Well it matters not, he isn''tcking time now, and he still needs to expand his harem, hehehe~." At the d, her voice held a hint of mischievousness that would have st chills on Sh Yuan''s back if he had se her now. But he was busy refining and expanding his meridians as he couldn''t stop in the middle now. He continued refining them until they stopped upgrading with his currt purity of qi. He knew it was time to push his cultivation towards the next level. He began gathering the Qi in his dantian and meridians to reach the peak, his dantian began refining qi as if a behemoth oped his jaw wide and started sucking the qi of the suring vironmt. Sh Yuan''s physique was doing the exact same phomon unconsciously as he soon reached the peak of the nd level of the Foundation Establishmt Realm. He focused his will as he initiated his breakthrough to the next realm, his body straining to its limit as he managed to break through, but not without consequces as his body seemingly reached its limit, threating to copse but he still pushed forward. Focusing on refining and expanding his Acupoints, he didn''t start from a single one as it was stated to do inside the cultivation manual. He manually controlled his qi and began refining all 365 Acupoints at once, his body shuddered violtly during the refining process as the Acupoints were not easy to refine and his body was nearing its limit as well. But this didn''t stop his overwhelming determination as he started expanding all his Acupoints as well, this increased their capacity as he soon reached the peak with his currt limits. He focused on consolidating his cultivation as he gathered all his qi in his dantian, meridians and his 365 Acupoints, began focusing on reaching the peak of 3rd level of Foundation Establishmt realm. Which he soon reached thanks to the nearly inexhaustible qi he got from Sh Yuxin''s Primordial Yin Essce. He oped his eyes as they revealed the madness within them, he didn''t stop and advanced to breakthrough to the 4th level of Foundation Establishmt realm. Channeling all his power and will towards his breakthrough. Yue Lan held her breath as she waited for him to break through, the winds surged all a as the Qi became vtile. s, Sh Yuan spurred a mouthful of blood as all the qi he built up for breakthrough was released from his body, but his bloodline didn''t allow it as it dragged all the qi back into Sh Yuan''s dantian. Sh Yuan fell down on the g due to a failed breakthrough, never having expected that he would fail at this point. His eyes became heavy as he lost consciousness. A soft sigh was heard as Yue Lan came in front of him, "Silly child, you were too eager for sess that you couldn''t measure your own ability, you are stillcking a bitpared to other giuses in temperamt due to your sheltered vironmt. But this experice will help to sharp your Dao Heart, it will be good for your future as well." She looked at him siltly, pondering about the future possibilities, "Never have I expected that I would find such a good sessor for Purity Sage. Ev though he was only a junior in front of me, he was worthy of respect for his contribution towards the Great Dao Races during the Immemorial War." She paused here as if reminiscing about her past, "Sigh, wh will all these wars d, ev that Great Lord disappeared before the war started, otherwise the dregs of that world would have never dared to bare their fangs towards the Great Dao Races." She exhaled a sigh, "Ev with the help of all of his subjects, we couldn''t find his whereabouts. I hope he can return soon, so there can be evesting peace just like the old days. Ev if I became an Apex Existce, I can''t interve in worldly matters due to the restrictions ced upon me by the transcdt power." She th looked at Sh Yuan with a glimmer in her eyes, "I can only help by cultivating such seeds to greatness, this might not be ough to turn the tides of war but it certainly can help during some critical matters." She shook her head in disappointmt as thinking about all these things was of no use, she turned into her human form and carried Sh Yuan inside one of the rooms toy him down on the bed. Chapter 83: Injuries Sh Yuan fluttered his eyes op, there was still a hint of red in them, signifying that his madness was not gone fully. He heard water flowing outside the room, but he didn''t remember there being anyke or river a his mansion so he tried to sit up and looked left and right inside the room. It looked unfamiliar to him but the sight of a cute cat caught his atttion, he soon rxed and dropped back on the bed. Th he felt his whole body aching as he frowned his brows, but the pain didn''t feel that much to him. He didn''t know the reason why he was feeling pain, but Yue Lan knew what was happing and if a normal cultivator on the same level as Sh Yuan were to undergo a simr level of pain th he would be crying on the g due to intolerable pain. But Sh Yuan didn''t ev flinch as he merely frowned his brows in pain, Yue Lan jumped on the bed in front of him and put her paw on his head, she was back in her cat form already. Not wanting Sh Yuan to see her human form for some reason. Sh Yuan looked at her and stopped trying to look a the situation, he justy down and waited for her to tell him what was happing. "Alright, so how much do you remember about wh you werest awake?" She asked in a light voice, having already expected that his memory would be fragmted due to extreme strain on his spirit. Sh Yuan took a momt to contemte as he thought hard about what he was doing, the first thing that came to mind was his dual cultivation with his mom. His lips curved into a gtle and fond smile as he thought of how lovely they were during the night. But th he remembered what happed the following morning. How the overwhelming amount of ergy inside of him threats to burst him. He came to this other world where Yue Lan brought him. He got a cultivation technique from her and destroyed his cultivation till Qi Gathering st level. But all was worth it as he built an impable foundation for his future. "I remember cultivating here, destroying my Qi Gathering cultivation base to begin anew with the cultivation technique that I got from you. I reached the 5th level th¡­th.. I don''t remember, everything afterward is blurry to me." He told her honestly whatever he remembered since his memory was blurry, and whatever he remembered was painted in red for whatever reason unknown to him. Yue Lan sighed softly as she poked his stomach lightly where his dantian was while saying, "Check your cultivation base." Sh Yuan felt surprised as this wasn''t the answer he was waiting for, he closed his eyes and focused his will on his dantian and body. What he saw left him shocked, "How is this possible?!?" He shouted as he couldn''t believe his cultivation level, and it wasn''t ev the shitty type of foundation that was built on pills and treasures. It was a pristine foundation built on the perfect body, he couldn''t believe what he had achieved in that semi-lucid state as he stared at Yue Lan for answers, not minding her mocking look as she looked at him as if he was a child who got his toys upgraded. "Tsk tsk tsk, truly a masochist you are Sh Yuan. I didn''t expect you would joy self-torture to this level that you achieved this unprecedted feet and reached such height ev with this cultivation technique." She paused here to let him understand how grave the situation was. "Ev the practitioners of this Cultivation manual exercise caution wh they cultivate because it isn''t easy to cultivate this technique due to the harsh requiremts on resources and physique. But you need not worry about both as Chaos Body Forging Technique builds you an unparalleled body for future cultivation and your mother''s Primordial Yin Essce helps you with the resources." She wasn''t stingy with her praises regarding Sh Yuan''s fortune for treasures, but th she continued, this time her tone carried a hint of admiration, "But ev if someone had these same conditions, they wouldn''t have be able to pull off what you did." She paused as she gathered her thoughts and continued, "Not only was it impressive that you dured the unimaginable pain but you ev pushed yourself beyond your limit, nearly tering the realm of madness as you were at the risk of Qi Deviation." "But your fortune didn''t abandon you as you only fainted after reaching your body''s limit. If someone else had done this th they would have be lucky to survive cultivating this technique so recklessly or the worst case scario was losing control of the qi due to extreme pain and exploding on the spot. I also forgot to remind you about this as I hav''t read this technique in detail." She decided to not mtion her little revge as that would only be a disadvantage for her at this point, she didn''t want a dt in their budding rtionship as she had never expected the situation to be dire so soon. Sh Yuan listed patitly while she continued exining what had transpired during his cultivation, he was not overly prideful about his feet nor was he disappointed that he couldn''t break through to the 4th level of the Foundation Establishmt realm. He knew what he had achieved was extraordinary but he just couldn''t get in the mood to celebrate due to his experice, ev if his memory was foggy, the pain he felt remained vivid inside his mind. So he felt whatever he got was totally deserving, neither was it too low nor was it high. Perfect for the amount of effort he put in. Yue Lan also stopped speaking wh she noticed that Sh Yuan was deep in his own thoughts, after what felt like an eternity, he raised his head and asked Yue Lan. "How strong do you think I am right now?" Yue Lan pondered for a bit before she answered seriously while looking at him, "I don''t know exactly but you can definitely kill hundreds of your previous self with a raise of your hand." Sh Yuan looked at his hand as he felt that she had underestimated his ability, not only was he much stronger than that he had alsoprehded something else during his cultivation. He looked outside the window and waved his hand to sd out a light sh of qi to sh out a branch from a tree, he used his qi to bring it back inside the room. Yue Lan looked at him confusingly as she couldn''tprehd what he was trying to do with a stick. Sh Yuan smiled lightly as he spoke, "I alsoprehd something during my cultivation this time a, I don''t know what it is so I would like you to take a look at it." He took a deep breath as he tried to focus, but s his injuries made it impossible for him to gather his qi or ev his will. "Never mind, let me rest for now, I will show it to youter." He released a long sigh as he felt as he tired. Chapter 84: Waking Up "Never mind, let me rest for now, I will show it to youter." Sh Yuan spoke as his eyes slowly closed. Yue Lan pondered for a bit as she had a good guess of what it would be that Sh Yuan wanted to show her. But she left him alone to sleep for now as this was a well-deserved rest for him. "Sigh, you really pushed yourself too far this time. At Least this will train your pain tolerance, but your Dao Heart is still not firm ough." Yue Lan stopped talking as she siltly stared at Sh Yuan while he continued to rest. After an unknown amount of time, Sh Yuan stirred slightly. He slowly oped his eyes as he felt rather ergetic this time. No longer feeling the same pain as wh he woke up the previous time. Yue Lan was still sitting beside him on the bed, she looked at him wh he woke up. "Seems like you are mostly healed for now, now you just need to spd some time so your body can get used to your new cultivation. You were really hasty wh you broke through so many realms at once." She reprimanded him for his hastiness as she couldn''t let him do something so dangerous again. Sh Yuan chose to list siltly to her instead of defding his actions, he knew what he had done was wrong. Sh Yuan spoke to her after she finished speaking what was on her mind, "It was my fault that I continued to cultivate and breakthrough despite the continuous breakthroughs, but the feeling of being stronger so fast was far too intoxicating for me." He paused here to form words on what he wanted to express, "It was almost as wonderful as my dual cultivation session with Mom." He spoke with a smile. Yue Lan''s eyes twitched slightly, "Of Course it''s intoxicating, that''s why everyone strives to cultivate further no matter what it takes, and the higher the level the more intoxicating feeling they have." She paused to let him understand what she meant, "But the absolute majority of them are not as fortunate as you to experice so many continuous breakthroughs. That''s why they don''t fall into this devious cycle. But it''s good that you managed to survive it. Her tone became serious here as she continued, "Far too many giuses have ruined themselves due to not being able to control their talts, their Dao Heart was not firm ough to survive the temptation." Sh Yuan nodded his head seriously as he pondered on the consequces of what would have happed if he hadn''t stopped in the d, and ev that was due to his inability to continue cultivating. Otherwise, a normal cultivator would have ruined their foundation instead. But due to his pristine foundation, he didn''t suffer the same fate as his predecessors. "Sigh, alright I understand now. I will try my best not to fall into the temptation again ev if I do decide to break through consecutively. But I won''t restrict myself as well, my body still has a lot of my mom''s Primordial Yin Essce left over, I can probably break through a few more major realms with it." Yue Lan interjected him before he continued this train of thoughts, "But your body hasn''t adapted to these extreme changes, so wait for a while and go explore the outside world. It''s about time for you to experice the life of a mortal." Sh Yuan raised his eyebrow as he asked in a confused tone, "But why should I try to live a normal mortal life? I can do anything I want with my mother''s help, why should I make my life unnecessarily hard?" Yue Lan jumped from her spot and hit his head lightly. "Hey! How can you hit me wh I can''t??" Sh Yuan asked with wide eyes. Yue Lan ignored his question and spoke, "If you relied on her for all the things th you would never amount to anything more than a Young Master, if you don''t polish yourself in the mortal world and always rely on external power th what''s the point of cultivation?" She patitly exined theplex things to him, "Let''s say if you can ask for her help now, th what about wh you reach the same cultivation level as her? Or ev surpass her? Who will help you th? The mortal world won''t be ough to sharp your Dao Heart because you will be past your prime and it will take much much longer to achieve the same result." She paused here to let him digest what she said, "And I''m not saying to not receive her help at all, just use her help moderately. If you want to kill someone th do it yourself and if you are not strong ough th cultivate to be strong ough. It alles down to personal help, you can also help her in the future if you are strong ough." Sh Yuan''s eyes shined lightly as he realized what she said was correct, thefort of his currt life blurred the memories of his past life as he nearly forgot the previous experice. "Sigh, that''s for oping my eyes, thefort of this life nearly made me lose track of what was most important. I shall only take her help wh necessary from now on." He spoke with a serious tone as his resolve burned like the Puresun above. Yue Lan finally smiled as she saw his currt state. "Alright, we have pushed the issue back for long ough, show me my status window." He spoke after a while as he collected his thoughts. Yue Lan nodded and swiped her ws. [Ding!] [Host: Sh Yuan] [Title: Charming Young Master, Mob Killer, Weapon Master, Madman, Masochist, Inheritor of Purity Sage, Era-Defining Gius, Incestuous Pervert¡­] [Cultivation Base: 3rd level Foundation Establishmt Realm] [Bloodline: ???] [Physique- -Saint-Rank Primal Harmony Physique (Primordial Rank Sealed) -Saint-Rank False Chaos Physique] 3-Heavly-Rank Purity Physique [Talts- -High Level Comprehsion -Weapon Master 3- Darkness Affinity 4- Wind Affinity¡­] [Techniques- Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art, Chaos Body Refinemt Technique(8st Revolution- Completed), Basic Sword Style, Mountain Smashing Fist, Falling Leaves sh, Wind Breaker Palm, Earth Cutting Saber, Flowing Water Spear, Lightfoot Technique...] [Chaos Coins4000] [System Shop] [Invtory] [Rtionship] [Battle Power- Unknown] [Harem Connect] [Dual Cultivation Chamber] "Hmm¡­ I see you gave me quite some interesting titles." His lips twitched as he read the titles, "Why the fuck am I a masochist?" Yue Lan shrugged her shoulders as she nonchntly spoke, "Because of your masochistic behavior yesterday. Don''t look at me like that, you did this to yourself." Sh Yuan looked at the rest of his titles as he felt both embarrassed and angry seeing the title, "I- Wh- why did you¡­sigh never mind." He lost all strgth to argue as he vividly remembered his session. Yue Lan nodded her head in approval, "There is nothing to be ashamed of in what you have done. It''s normal in this world, only strgth reigns supreme. If you have strgth th you can do whatever you like. If you want the holy daughters of the top sects to serve you th they will do it if you are strong ough. Heck, ev the mothers of holy daughters will join you if you are dominant ough." Chapter 85: New Upgrades Sh Yuan imagined such a sce and felt excited just thinking about it, he took a deep breath to calm down, "Let''s not talk about that, let me see if the rest of anything changed." He looked further, "Hmm, Inheritor of the Purity Sage, looks like I became the Inheritor due to learning the fruit of his lifelongbor. I shall do my utmost not to bring shame to his name." He spoke in all seriousness as he considered the implication of being Purity Sage''s disciple. Yue Lan nodded in approval looking at his reaction, she knew he was smart ough to figure this out. He continued looking, "Hmm¡­ Era-Defining Gius... depds on which ce you are looking at it from ig, in this mortal world I can be an Era-Defining Gius with my Physique and Bloodline alone, or ev if nothing else th the techniques that I cultivate can make me an Era-Defining Gius of this world." He was neither proud nor arrogant about this achievemt as he didn''t have to do anything to achieve it. Yue Lan spoke up, "This is the right path, be proud of what you have done and receive the blessing of the rest with humility." Sh Yuan nodded in agreemt as he decided to look at other things since titles wouldn''t help him. He noticed the addition of physique, "Hm? Purity Physique? Is this due to the cultivation manual and how it changed my mortal body? So the users also get a physique huh." He wondered as he looked at his body. Yue Lan corrected him, "Not all the practitioners of Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art get a Special Physique, and normally the ones who get it start at Earth Level physique, ev the best ones only get Heavly Physique, this includes Purity Sage as well. Your suicidal actions granted you this special physique, so I guess something good came out of those suicidal actions." Sh Yuan nodded in agreemt as he also didn''t expect to get such a nice Physique. He looked further, he got a few new talts but they were iparable to his new technique and Physique so he ignored them and continued further down. "Why is my battle power unknown?" He asked lightly as he saw that his battle power was shown as unknown. "We need to check how strong you are to give you an urate estimate. I can''t ess your body due to your bloodline so we can only wait until you do it yourself and th I can pinpoint it." Yue Lan replied in a helpless tone since she was helpless about this as well. Sh Yuan made an "ah" sound in understanding and didn''t push the issue, knowing his battle power right now was useless. "Oh, two new features? Introduce them to me." Sh Yuan asked in a curious tone, ev though he could guess the features used by their names, he still wanted to know the extt of their use. Yue Lan stood straight as she began describing the features. [The Harem Connect feature helps to build awork betwe you and your harem members. You can think of it like a chat group where you all can talk. Andter wh you be more powerful and the system is upgraded again, you can ev share items and treasures with each other.] She paused her exnation for a bit, [You can also use it to summon your harem members, but it''s forter. Let''s talk about the Dual Cultivation Chamber now, it is this ce where we are right now. You can use 00 Chaos Coins for an hour of use. The effect of dual cultivation is intsified here a lot. It doesn''t only befit you but also your partner, you can also let them stay here to cultivate wh you stay outside but that will consume Chaos Coins, not 00 per hour but still 0 per hour.] Sh Yuan listed to what she said and the first thing he felt was happiness that he could talk with his harem members no matter the distance, and the second thing he felt was the urge to curse Yue Lan. "Why the fuck is it so expsive?? I only collected 4,000 Chaos Coins after fulfilling an untold amount of missions before I turned 8." Yue Lan looked at him as if were a clown, "Remember the name of your system, it''s [Primordial Harem System] of course, you will gain Chaos Coins by dual cultivation from now on. This was one of the reasons the system updated, your body couldn''t have done Dual Cultivation before so there wasn''t an option for this. Now you can gain Chaos Coins with both Quests and Dual Cultivation." She continued looking at him after finishing. Meanwhile, Sh Yuan sat there listing to her, he felt excited thinking about how he could get Chaos Coins just from dual cultivation. Heughed as crazy ideas poured into his mind, "Hahaha, I can farm coins like crazy with my harem and can get all of the cultivation physiques and bloodlin-" Before he could finish his stce, Yue Lan interrupted him, "But most Physiques won''t be useful to you, and I doubt your bloodline will allow another to exist in your body. And ev physiques, if you have too many of them, they will sh with each other. Resulting in your unfortunate death." Sh Yuan''sughter ceased as he felt someone pour a bucket of cold water on him, "What is this bullshit Nerf??" Yue Lan giggled slightly, "Well the Great Dao is fair to everyone, it can''t let a single individual cease the fortune of everyone. But there are ways to have more physiques, but again you will have to depd on yourself to find those." Sh Yuan calmed down as he thought about the implications behind Yue Lan''s words, ''Hmm, looks like I can find a way to make use of this. But I need to research more about Physiques and Mortal Body.'' He continued thinking about his Physique wh Yue Lan interrupted his thoughts, "Alright that''s ough for now." "Hmm? Only these? Ar''t there any more features or something?" Sh Yuan asked, thinking he might get some more features. Yue Lan gave him a side eye and asked, "Ar''t you too greedy? Just go away, the system will keep improving as the host desires, no need to ask for more. And there are a few more hidd features which will be made clear wh the timees." Sh Yuan''s eyes shined brightly as he heard her confirmation, this was all he needed as he smiled in a good mood. "Ah yes, what were you about to show me before you fell asleep?" Yue Lan asked as she remembered what he was about to show her before. Sh Yuan thought for a bit, remembering what he wanted to show as another question popped into his mind, "Oh wait, how long was I unconscious?" He got anxious as he hadn''t thought of this question before, Yue Lan''s eyes shed mischievously "It''s be only a few weeks." Sh Yuan''s eyes wided in shock as he hurriedly stood up from bed, "Why didn''t you tell me sooner?? I wt missing after spding one night with Mom, I would look like a bastard now." He felt like crying but no tears came out as he brought out his clothes from his storage ring and wore them. Chapter 86: Facing Family Yue Lan giggled softly as she told him, "Don''t worry, the time flows differtly inside here than the outside world, since this is your first time here, I changed the time so after you leave this ce only minutes or so would have passed outside." She paused to let him digest it as she looked at him with a mischievous smile on her face, "You don''t need to worry so much about time, you have plty of that left. So show me what you wanted to show before." Sh Yuan stood in his tracks as he listed to her, he felt his lips twitching as he made a fool out of himself in front of Yue Lan again, he took a deep breath as he contemted the time-dtion cultivation chambers for a bit. He thought of various ways to use it, he shook his head as he thought, ''I will think about itter, let''s ask her what this is, I think it might be that but¡­hmm need to be sure.'' He looked a the bed and picked up the tree branch with leaves in it again, he grabbed the base of the branch with both hands and swiped one of his hands on the stick. All the leaves dropped on the g as if it was only a bare stick now, "So, I wanted to show you what Iprehded in myst cultivation session, it seems like my sword mastery was polished as well somehow." He infused his intt in the stick, making it as sharp as a sword as he swung it on the lower side of the bed. shing it cleanly in two, the result was beyond ev his own expectations as he didn''t expect to make such a clean cut. "Congrattions, Sh Yuan, you haveprehded the first level of Sword Intt. That''s really impressive considering your cultivation base as most of the people start learning about intts muchter in their cultivation journey." Yue Lan praised him sincerely as she didn''t expect him to learn it so soon and ev reach the first level of Intt in it. "But it''s now due to your sword mastery magically increasing but your Dao Heart strgthing due to the extreme pain you underwt before, it metamorphosed your Sword Masters into Intt." she only told him about how he managed to master the first level Sword Intt to dispel his confusion. Sh Yuan nodded his head in realization, "Dao Heart is so mystical, ev aiding one toprehd Intts." He muttered to himself. "Dao Heart is one of the most esstial things a cultivator needs to be sessful and transcd one tribtion after another. Otherwise, it''s too easy to stay from their path if they don''t have an indomitable Dao Heart." She lectured him about the Dao Heart again as she truly wanted him to realize the importance the Dao Heart has for a cultivator. Sh Yuan also listed patitly to her, agreeing with her but not understanding fully how it can illuminate the path for a cultivator. Before he could ask more about it Yue Lan spoke first, "Alright, you have be here for long ough, off you go." She waved her tiny paws and st him outside of the chamber. Everything wt dark for Sh Yuan as wh he oped his eyes, he was back in his bedroom. The room was cleaned without a speck of dust remaining. Sh Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong were sitting at the table and talking with each other wh they suddly turned their heads and looked toward Sh Yuan. Sh Yuxin was nicely dressed in purple robes, looking regal and elegant, Huo Rong was still wearing her signature red robes while Bing Rong was wearing icy blue robes. Sh Yuan smiled lightly looking at his family, at this momt he truly thought that all the suffering of the past was worth it after reuniting with his family. Before Huo Rong and Bing Rong could ev ask what had happedst night, Sh Yuxin''s eyes winded in shock as she came in front of Sh Yuan before any of the others could ev react. "H-how d-did you managed to break through from the 5th level of Qi Gathering Realm to the 3rd Level of Foundation Establishmt Realm in only minutes??? How is this possible?" Her eyes were filled with visible confusion as she couldn''tprehd how he managed to cultivate so quickly. Ev the top most giuses she knew needed to take a few months before they could cultivate this fast, and not to mtion all of them had trash foundations not worth mtioning. Now what she feared the most was his foundation bing unstable. Sh Yuan smiled softly looking at her anxious expression, he hugged her to calm her down. Their bodies pressed against each other. Sh Yuxin also took a deep breath of his sct as she tried to calm down. Sh Yuan spoke while patting her back, "You don''t have to worry, Mom. I hav''t ruined my foundation, in fact, I dare say you can not find another individual with a stronger foundation than me throughout the world." In the d, his voice held a hint of arrogance, but it was warranted as he knew his foundation was truly something else. Not ev the greatest giuses of the ages cane close to his Dao Foundation. Sh Yuxin looked at her son suspiciously, having a hard time believing what he said since he had only be missing for a few minutes. Just th her mind shed as she blurted out, "Wait, don''t tell me you were in a time dtion chamber? Yes, that must be it. It doesn''t make sse otherwise." Sh Yuxin spoke to herself as she thought that she hade to a possible oue. Sh Yuan raised his eyebrow in surprise, not expecting his mom to hit the mark at once, nevertheless, he spoke in agreemt, "Yes, Mom, you are correct. It was indeed a time dtion chamber. But as for how long I cultivated for? Ev I don''t know since I didn''t take notice of time." He shook his head as he finished speaking. Meanwhile, Huo Rong and Bing Rong looked at him with shock-filled gazes, not expecting him to cultivate so fast. But they also nodded in understanding after hearing about the time dtion chamber. Ev though they have never expericed it themselves, they have heard legds about such cultivation adobes. Yue Lan th manifested into reality in her cute cat form. "Nyah~" she purred cutely as she looked at the gathered family. "Oh yeah, Yue Lan, you must know for how long I was there." Sh Yuan looked at her and asked, by this time he was used to having her a anding and going at her own whims. "Nyah~ you were inside the Dual Cultivation Chamber for quite a few weeks." She didn''t talk about how he spt the majority of the time testing due to his injuries. It would needlessly worry Sh Yuxin and the others, Sh Yuan also gave her a grateful nod to show his appreciation. He didn''t want his family to know about his deeds and what title the system gave him. Chapter 87: Relationships "Alright, let''s sit down first and th continue this chat." He said as he looked that all of the family was gathered. Sh Yuxin smiled and pulled him along to sit together with her. Huo Rong and Bing Rong also wt with the flow and sat back down on the chairs. Sh Yuxin sat closer to Sh Yuan than at other times, making Huo Rong and Bing Rong raise their eye toward her. But she decided to ignore them and only looked at Sh Yuan''s handsome visage. He also had no qualms about it as he had already epted their incestuous rtionship at this point. "So, as you can see, I have reached the 3rd level of Foundation Establishmt Realm, and my battle power absolutely surpasses the Inner Sea realm, I just don''t know by how much since I have never fought with a stronger oppont." Sh Yuxin and the others nodded in understanding, but before he could continue Huo Rong mmed her hand on the table, "Hey! Don''t drag us in your flow. We have some questions we need you to answer." She raised her voice as she spoke in a strong tone, not leaving any room for Sh Yuan to refuse. Bing Rong also stared at him with an intse gaze, as if she wouldn''t let him leave unless he answered their questions. Sh Yuan shook his head helplessly, "Can''t stop what was bound to happ." He sighed as he continued, "Alright, ask what you have in mind." Sh Yuxin simply smiled as she already talked with them before, but they still wanted an exnation from Sh Yuan so she let them be. Huo Rong and Bing Rong looked at each other, gathering their courage, but surprisingly it was Bing Rong who asked, "Are the two of you in a rtionship now?" Sh Yuan smiled in amusemt at her, "We were always in a rtionship, she was my mother ever since I can remember." Huo Rong stomped her foot on the g, "Yuan''er! You know that''s not what we are talking about." "Alright chill, I was just lighting the mood." He chuckled lightly, but soon his expression turned serious as he looked straight at them and spoke, "As for your question Sister Bing, yes, I and Mom are officially in a rtionship from now on. Not as a mother and son but as Dao Partners." Huo Rong and Bing Rong got silt as they already knew it, but they just wanted to hear it from Sh Yuan instead. Bing Rong sighed, "Sigh, are you aware of the consequces of this choice Yuan''er?" Sh Yuan''s expression wt back to normal as he smiled lightly, "I have already considered all the consequces Sister Bing. You need not worry about it." "So you don''t have any problem with incestuous rtionships?" Huo Rong looked at him and asked seriously. "These things only bind mortals, my dear sisters. Why should I care about what others think as long as I have my family by my side?" He asked seriously as he looked at them. Huo Rong looked at Bing Rong with a mischievous twinkling in her eyes, making Bing Rong''s face change shade to red. "Hehe~ That means we can stop worrying about you and share our feelings." Huo Rong giggled like a sweet spring, forgetting all about what she was questioning him for and other stuff. The only thing on her mind right now was that Sh Yuan didn''t have any problems with incestuous rtionships, and ev if they were, they were not rted at all. At most, they were Martial Brothers and Martial Sisters so that''s why Huo Rong and Bing Rong never tried to restrict their feelings for Sh Yuan. He also knew that both of them loved him dearly and wanted nothing more than to be with him. He also realized that they were not angry with him nor frustrated about the situation, but only jealous of Sh Yuxin. He smiled gtly towards them, "Of course, I would wee you with op arms. I always loved my two beautiful sisters who took care of me for so long." He didn''t reject their feelings for he never wanted to separate from them. All three of them looked towards Sh Yuxin to ask for her opinion on this matter, who smiled gtly and looked at each of them one by one, "Of course, I don''t have any problem with it. We all will be one big family. I can''t find a better husband for my dear disciples and both of them are a match made in heav for you as well Yuan''er. Their talt might not beparable to yours but their heart for Dao ismdable." She spoke her mind about this matter, praising both her disciples and her son, after all, she treated both Huo Rong and Bing Rong as her daughters as well. Huo Rong and Bing Rong smiled sweetly and felt their nose twitching as they heard Sh Yuxin praising them. Sh Yuan also smiled looking at her taking care of all of their feelings. He th looked towards Huo Rong and Bing Rong, looking at their emotional self, he stood up from his seat and wt towards them. Hugging them both, "I love you, Sisters." He gtly whispered in their ears, not saying the name of either of them to not put one before the other. They both also understood his consideration and smiled happily, hugging him back. Yue Lan looked at all of this with a smile, not interrupting this warm momt. After a while, Sh Yuan let go of them and sat back down in his seat near Huo Rong. Huo Rong looked at him with zed eyes, asking for something inexplicable. Before Sh Yuan could say anything about it, Yue Lan interjected, "You guys should calm your horny selves for a bit. Sh Yuan can''t dual cultivate for now since his body can''t handle the influx of more Qi, and your Primordial Yin Essce will do more harm to him than good." She warned them as she saw the expression of both Huo Rong and Bing Rong turning impatit. Both of them felt their face turning red, Huo Rong shuttered, "Wh- N- How vulgar!! We wer''t thinking about dual cultivating with Sh Yuan!" She nearly screamed as she felt her face burning. Yue Lan smirked, "I never said anything about dual cultivation though. Where did thise from." Huo Rong felt like burying herself somewhere due to shame, lowering her head and not speaking anything ev though Yue Lan''s directly talked about Dual Cultivation. The topic was far too embarrassing for them as they wanted to initiate it themselves. Bing Rong''s pale skin also turned red, Sh Yuan could see that ev her ears were red due to embarrassmt. He couldn''t help but chuckle softly looking at this sce. They continued teasing each other for a bit until Sh Yuxin asked, "So, what is your next n Yuan''er?" Sh Yuan looked outside the window, contemting about what to do next seriously, "Hmm¡­ why don''t I go and look at sister Huo and Sister Bing''s sect? I want to experice the life of sect members, I can sharp myself there as well. The culticators a this area is too weak, I heard from sister Huo previously that ev the lowest servant in her sect had higher cultivation than Inner Sea Realm." Chapter 88: Status Window He paused here, his eyes glowing in excitemt, "Now that''s a ce where I can spread my wings fully. Let''s see if I can find some good opponts there." Sh Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong smiled looking at Sh Yuan''s thusiasm. While Yue Lan shook her head, "You can forget about finding someone in the same realm or ev one realm above you to a worthy oppont. But your cultivation is also a lot weaker than most so you can probably find someone good ough to fight with you." Yue Lan poured cold water on him to bring him out of his fantasy of finding a worthy oppont. Sh Yuan red at her and spoke, "If you don''t speak for a minute people won''t mistake you for a mute." "Nyah~ it would be weird if they think a mortal cat can speak." Yue Lan didn''t mind Sh Yuan''s remark and continued teasing him. Sh Yuan decided to just ignore her as nothing good wille out of a dog''s or rather a cat''s mouth. He focused on something else as he looked at Sh Yuxin, "What do you think, Mom? Would it be a good idea for me to join your sect?" He still wanted to ask about her opinion on this matter as he didn''t want to join a bad sect. Sh Yuxin contemted for a momt, "Well, the sect is certainly one of the best in the Eastern Deste Region, so it has ample resources andpetition for you to flourish. And there are many inter-sectpetitions so you will never run out of opponts to sharp yourself with." Sh Yuan nodded his head after he finished listing to her, havinge to his own decision already. "Alright, I will leave for the sect in the next few days, I need to make some preparations before leaving." He said with a smile as he looked at his family. Bing Rong also cooled down by now as she asked him in a curious tone, "Are you thinking of going there alone, Yuan''er? It isn''t that safe ev if you can fight someone in the Origin Core Realm. This is only the outer area, there are many more mighty cultivators in the rest of the Eastern Deste Region." She cautioned him as she didn''t want him to overestimate himself and take unnecessary risks. Sh Yuan chuckled lightly and questioned her, "Wh did I say that I will leave alone? I will take you all with me, but you won''t be traveling with me." Sh Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong revealed puzzled looks as they couldn''tprehd what Sh Yuan meant by this. Was he saying that he will take them with him? Or will he travel alone? Sh Yuan didn''t keep them in suspse for much longer, "After the rect upgrade in the system, I can ess a differt realm. It is my Dual Cultivation Chamber. And I can use that for other stuff inside. For example, let all of you train inside. It is only beficial for you since there is time dtion as well inside, and the rich cultivation vironmt is the icing on the cake." He revealed all the details to them about the new feature, making them reveal looks of awe as they couldn''tprehd the existce of a time dtion chamber being essible to them. The implications were massive as it can not only help them during crucial times but also help to strgth them rapidly. Yue Lan interrupted him at this point, "You need to add them in the harem section inside the rtionship tab to let them ess the Harem Connect as well as the Dual Cultivation Chamber." Sh Yuan nodded in realization and oped the rtionship tab. [Rtionship] [Spouse(s)] [Name: Sh Yuxin] [Title: Mistress of Illusions, Celestial Fox Sovereign¡­] [Race: Spirit Fox] [Cultivation Base: Unknown] [Bloodline: Pseudo-Supreme Rank Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox] [Physique: Pseudo-Supreme Heavly Fox Empress Body] [Rtionship: Adoptive Mother of Sh Yuan, Master of Huo Rong, and Bing Rong, Dual Cultivation Partner of Sh Yuan] [Family] [Name: Huo Rong] [Title: me Lotus Fairy, Scorching de] [Race: Human] [Cultivation Base: 9th Level Mortal Tribtion Realm] [Bloodline: Heavly-Rank Ancit me Phoix] [Physique: Heavly-Rank me Lotus Physique] [Rtionship: Disciple of Sh Yuxin, Big Sister of Sh Yuan] [Name: Bing Rong] [Title: Frost Lotus Fairy, Frost de] [Human] [Cultivation Base: 9th Level Mortal Tribtion Realm] [Bloodline: Heavly-Rank Ancit Frost Phoix] [Physique: Heavly-Rank Frost Lotus Physique] [Rtionship: Disciple of Sh Yuxin, Big Sister of Sh Yuan] [Pottial Lover(s)] [Name: Huo Rong] [Name: Bing Rong] [Allies] [Enemies] He carefully looked at all of the details shown by the system, not missing anything. The first thing he saw was Sh Yuxin''s titles, his eyes wided in amazemt as he looked up to see her still sitting there leisurely. She was still looking at him with a gtle gaze, he couldn''t find the simrity betwe her and Celestial Fox Sovereign which was one of her titles. He continued to look at the rest of her details, after he finished looking at them all, he took a deep breath. ''Mom is really amazing, she must be the apex cultivator of the Eastern Deste Region.'' He thought to himself as he decided to not ask her about it, ''She will tell me about it herself in due time.'' He th thought of something, ''Hmm? Why is the rank of her bloodline so low? The bloodline seems much stronger than that to me. After all, the Nine-Tailed Foxes were Divine creatures in my previous life.'' [That''s because she only has a trace of Nine-Tailed Fox Bloodline, if she can increase the quantity of her bloodline conctration th the rank will improve automatically. And ev this strand of the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox was awaked wh you dual cultivated with her.] She paused as she th told him why Sh Yuxin''s bloodline and physique evolved, [Your physique and bloodline helped her to improve not only her physique but her bloodline as well. She only had Heavly Rank Physique and Bloodline before your Dual Cultivation session.] Sh Yuan nodded his head in understanding as he finally got his answer to what his Primordial Yang Essce was used for since he didn''t feel that her cultivation base had increased. ''But why is her cultivation base still unknown?'' he asked curiously since he had no idea about her cultivation base. [Because it is far beyond your level currtly. You can''t see the cultivation base of someone so far beyond your level.] Yue Lan''s answer was precise as she pointed out his biggest weakness, his weak cultivation base. Sh Yuan felt that it made sse and it didn''t bother him too much since he will get to know that in the future one way or another. ''Hmm, let''s look at Sister Huo and Bing''s status window as well.'' He smiled softly looking at their titles, both represting their personalities and elemts perfectly. ''me Lotus Fairy and Frost Lotus Fairy, perfectly matching their personalities.'' His eyes th wided as he saw their cultivation base, ''Holy fuck, they are that strong??'' He couldn''t believe how strong both of them were. It took him a few seconds to regain hisposure, ''If both of them are so strong and I can still see their status window, th I wonder how strong Mom is.'' Chapter 89: Harem Connect ''They are 5 major fucking levels above me!'' he calcted and was astonished at the major gap betwe them, ''I would probably need decades if not cturies to catch up with them if I was not a dual cultivator. I need to make the best use of this advantage to get stronger faster.'' He didn''t feel down or lose motivation wh looking at their monstrous cultivation bases but instead felt full of motivation to grow stronger and catch up with them. He looked further down at their bloodline and physique, ''Hmm¡­ is it the same case as my mom? That they have a faint trace of Fire Phoix and Frost Phoix bloodlines?'' Yue Lan replied, [Indeed that is the case, they both have a a very small amount of Phoix bloodlines, I''m surprised this mortal world ev has any but looks like their fortune was strong ough to get these bloodlines.] Sh Yuan felt confusion growing as he asked, ''Wait, you mean they acquired the bloodlinester and wer''t born with Phoix bloodlines?'' Yue Lan replied in a voice filled with certainty, [Indeed that is the case, they wer''t born with any Phoix bloodlines or Physique, they have normal Earth-level physiques but due to some circumstances, they were destroyed and remade into Phoix Physiques. Their fortune is truly something else.] Sh Yuan exhaled a sigh of admiration, "Truly the fortune of the cultivation world is limitless." Sh Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong looked towards him in confusion, why he suddly spoke about the fortune of the cultivation world. "Ah haha¡­I was just thinking about something to myself, how there are so many great ces in this world, and how vast the fortune of the cultivation world is." Heughed awkwardly as he tried to give them a reason why he spoke suddly. All three made an "Ah" sound in understanding but knew that Yue Lan was telling him about the cultivation world, so they got silt and sat while Bing Rong took out a tea set and poured tea for Sh Yuxin and the others. Sh Yuan sighed in relief as they didn''t pursue the matter and didn''t ask what Yue Lan was telling him. He didn''t want to tell them that he knew about their Bloodline and Physique just yet. [Hehe~ You need to make up better reasons next time.] Sh Yuan ignored her and looked at the rest of the options, ''Hmm¡­ Sister Huo and Sister Bing as pottial lovers seem right. Yue Lan, put them in the Spouse tab since they have already agreed to be my Dao Companion.'' He said to Yue Lan with a soft smile while thinking about how they agreed to be his Dao Companions. Yue Lan changed the interface of the system and put all three of the wom in the Spouse section. Sh Yuan nodded with a smile looking at the change, th he looked at thest empty sections of Enemy and Allies. ''Why is this section empty again? Shouldn''t I have a few emies by now?'' he asked Yue Lan in confusion. [You didn''t make any Allies while you were out, and all of your emies were killed by either you or others. So we are back at zero.] Sh Yuan thought about it and agreed that he killed the majority of his emies which he came across. He didn''t think about the n from Shadowveil City since he didn''t think they would pursue the matter further after getting all of their forces annihted by him. "Alright everyone, list here," He stood up and pped his hands lightly to gather their atttion, "System, Activate Harem Connect." He spoke and ordered the system to activate the new feature. [Ding!] [Harem Connect feature is online now] [Active Participant: (Sh Yuan)] He nodded while looking at the system window. While Sh Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong looked at him in confusion, wondering what he was trying to do. "Add Sh Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong to the live chat." He ordered the system again. [Ding!] [Sh Yuxin added to the Harem Connect] [Huo Rong added to the Harem Connect] [Bing Rong added to the Harem Connect] Sh Yuan nodded his head with a smile as he looked at the system scre. He raised his head and met the eyes of his family, all of them were looking at him curiously at what he was doing. Just th, a scre showed up in front of all three of them, [Ding!] [You have now connected with Host Sh Yuan''s live chat. You can talk with each other with this novel matter the distance and ev share items at a high ough level.] Sh Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong''s eyes shined brightly with amazemt as they looked at the strange window floating in front of them. Bing Rong tried to touch the system scre with her hand only to fail as her hand passed through it. Huo Rong raised her head and looked towards Sh Yuan, "What is this Yuan''er? Is it your system''s new feature?" Sh Yuan nodded his head with a smile and said in the live chat without oping his mouth, [Yes, with this I can talk with my harem members no matter how far apart we are from each other. You can leave the chat as well and join whever you want. Try to leave it now.] The eyes of Sh Yuxin and the others wided in amazemt as Sh Yuan was able to talk with them without speaking. They knew he wasn''t at a high ough level to project his thoughts directly towards them, this amazed them ev more. Sh Yuxin th looked at her chat scre and saw what Sh Yuan spoke to them was writt as well. "Leave the chat." She spoke to the system. [Ding!] [Disconnected from the Live Chat.] "See how easy it is to do that." Sh Yuan spoke with a smile, he looked towards his own scre. [Active Participant: 3(Sh Yuan, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong)] He can see who is inside the chat active currtly. Huo Rong th asked with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, "Yuan''er, can we make a separate chat box and remove some participants from it? Like only me and You." Sh Yuan shook his head as he replied, "I don''t know about that, I hav''t asked Yue Lan about it. Hey, Yue Lan, you heard the question, so can we do that?" Yue Lan replied and the vibe echoed in all of their minds, [No, you can not make individual channels for chatting betwe yourselves. But there are two separate channels for You and your harem members and another one solely for your harem members.] "Huh, why is there a channel without me?" Sh Yuan asked in confusion as he didn''t think there would be something like this. Meanwhile, Huo Rong jumped up from her seat and said excitedly, "Perfect! This is what we wanted, now we can make ns without letting Yuan''er know about them" Bing Rong and Sh Yuxin also smiled lightly thinking of future possibilities. On the other hand, Sh Yuan could only shake his head at their behavior as he also felt a little excited about what surprises they might have. Chapter 90: Manor Maids Shen Yuan and the others left the chat room as there was no need for that right now. Shen Yuxin stood up as she spoke, "Alright, enough time has passed, let''s go eat dinner, and then we can make further ns." Shen Yuan, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong nodded in agreement and stood up to leave. Huo Rong and Bing Rong went forward to set the table, leaving Shen Yuxin and Shen Yuan alone in the room. Shen Yuan looked towards her with a gentle gaze, "I really missed you, Mom." "Silly, what are you even saying, it''s not even been 10 minutes since we separated." She went towards him while speaking in a joking manner. He pulled her into his arms as he smiled in amusement, "Even spending 1 minute away from you feels like torture, what ten more minutes." Both of them looked at each other silently for a bit. Shen Yuxin giggled softly after not being able to maintain a straight face, "Haha, where did you learn such cheesy lines from?" Shen Yuan also chuckled softly, "These types of lines were famous in my previous life." He caressed her back as he felt her heat seeping into his clothes. Shen Yuxin rested her head on his chest with a soft smile on her face, "Looks like you were quite famous with thedies in your past life." She spoke teasingly. Shen Yuan felt his forehead covered in cold sweat as he hurriedly said, "Wait wait, you misunderstand, I was never together with a woman in my past life. I died without ever feeling the touch of a woman." As soon as he finished speaking he felt his face turning red, he didn''t even think what he was saying before he finished whatever was in his mind. Shen Yuxin giggled softly after hearing this, "Silly child, I was joking with you. I can tell you have never been in a rtionship due to your habits and your innocence." She gently caressed his cheeks to reassure him. Shen Yuan calmed down as he felt that it wasn''t anything bad since it was his mother who was with him and not a stranger. "Sigh, what have I done to deserve such a beautiful and understanding mother." Shen Yuan spoke while tightening the hug. Shen Yuxin''s eyes twinkled mischievously, "Only mother? Not your Dao Companion?" Shen Yuan smirked slightly as heplimented her, "Of course, you are my Dao Companion as well, after all, I can''t leave such a hot and sexy woman for others right?" He lowered his head to softly kiss her on the lips, "Unmm" Shen Yuxin softly moaned as she felt Shen Yuan grabbing her ass while kissing her lips. He began ying with her ass while kissing her, their kiss swiftly bing lewd as Shen Yuxin felt Shen Yuan pressing her tongue on her lips. She opened her mouth slightly in an inviting gesture, and then they began exploring each other''s mouths again. Shen Yuxin could feel Shen Yuan''s hard dick poking her, making her feel hot and she also felt her pussy twitching as well. The aftereffects ofst night areing now as they couldn''t wait to get back on the bed. Shen Yuxin calmed down as she gently broke the kiss, holding Shen Yuan''s head with both hands as she exhaled hot breath. "We should leave now, or else Huo Rong and Bing Rong will be back here anytime. We can''t Dual Cultivate right now as well due to your physique." Shen Yuan also calmed down as he felt his raging boner and the warmth of Shen Yuxin, but he also felt slightly disappointed that he couldn''t dual cultivate with her right now. Just then, Yue Lan''s voice echoed in both of their minds, [You two can dual cultivate without any issue, it would be worrisome if he received more Primordial Yin Essence of stronger cultivators, but if he utilizes a proper Yin absorption technique then he can Dual Cultivate with you.] Shen Yuan felt his dick throb as soon as he heard this, while Shen Yuxin also felt her body getting hot but she quickly calmed down, "Alright but we should leave now, we have to eat breakfast as well." Shen Yuan took a deep breath to calm down as he released Shen Yuxin, who also stepped back after releasing Shen Yuan''s face. He extended his one hand and asked with a smile, "Shall we head for breakfast?" Shen Yuxin giggled softly looking at his actions as she moved her hand forward, "Of course, let''s go to eat breakfast." Shen Yuan and Shen Yuxin began walking towards the exit of the room as he sneakily extended his hand towards her ass instead of holding it after walking a few steps. Shen Yuxin paused slightly, looking at him with a flirty smile as she began walking without asking him to remove his hand from her ass. He smiled in happiness as he began caressing her ass while walking through the manor. All the maids who saw these scenes widened their eyes, then hearts began appearing in their eyes as they began weaving romantic tales of a forbidden rtionship between a mother and her son. After all, they were no stranger to such scenes as they heard about such stories all the time which came from the side of Dual Cultivation Sects. "Do you think Madam Yuxin couldn''t resist Young Master Yuan''s charm and he seeded in taking down her heart?" one maid asked in a hushed voice to her fellow maids. The maid''s eyes also lit up with a me of gossip as another one of them spoke, "What do you think? Have you already done the deed?" One of them, who was a senior maid, spoke with a slightly red face, "I was on night duty yesterday, I was outside of Young Master Yuan''s room. And they went wild for the whole night yesterday. I can''t believe Young Master Yuan would be so dominant in the bedroom." She paused here as her face got beet red and she continued, " I had to leave for a while to masturbate because Madan Yuxin''s lewd moans were too much for me. But there was a barrier as well so the sound didn''t leave that area of the Manor, otherwise, I fear everyone in the Manor would have heard her." She felt her pussy twitching as she remembered thest night. A younger maid innocently asked, "So now Young Master Yuan and Madam Yuxin Dao Companions? How should we address them? Master Yuan and Madam Yuxin or Young Master Yuan and Young Mistress Yuxin?" The senior maid hit the back of the young maid lightly, "Just act normal and forget anything happened, even forget what you saw today." The younger maid rubbed the back of her head and felt that today was her unlucky day. Such talks happened all over the manor and it soon reached the ears of all maids that Shen Yuan and Shen Yuxin are now Dao Companions. But they didn''t say anything about this to anyone outside lest they lose their lives after all the cultivation world is a cruel ce and they can''t speak carelessly here. Of course, Shen Yuxin and even Shen Yuan with his enhanced hearing listened to everything the maids talked about. He smiled mischievously as he spoke softly to Shen Yuxin, "See what you did Mom? Poor maids had to masturbate in the middle of the night due to your loud moans." Shen Yuxin''s face burned in embarrassment as she hurried her pace toward the dining room while ignoring what Shen Yuan said. Due to her Shen Yuan also had to increase his pace but he wanted to y with her ass a bit longer so instead of caressing her ass, he lightly stroked her asshole, making her shiver on the spot as she stood rooted to the ground. He also didn''t expect such a reaction from her, but this only made things more interesting as he began circling his fingers on her asshole. She began walking slowly, Shen Yuan brought his face closer to her ear, "Looks like I found another weak spot huh? How I missed such an interesting thing yesterday." Shen Yuxin finally turned her face towards her, which was slightly red due to either embarrassment or lust, only she knew. But it enhanced her beauty as she looked like a fruit ripe for picking. Shen Yuan almost wanted to take a bite out of her but before that, she spoke, "Because you were busy fucking me like a rabbit that you forgot everything else." Shen Yuan smiled in amusement, "How vulgar,dies should be more elegant." He spoke in a teasing way while he started to y with her ass again, leaving her asshole for another day. Soon they reached the dining room, where Huo Rong and Bing Rong had already set the table. He removed his hand from Shen Yuxin''s ass, but it didn''t escape from Huo Rong and Bing Rong''s sharp gaze as they turned toward Shen Yuan. Chapter 91: Old Rewards They felt a surge of jealousy as they also wanted to be intimate with Shen Yuan. While Bing Rong looked away after a moment, Huo Rong was having none of it as she went towards Shen Yuan. "Even if you both are already Dao Companions, at least have the decency to not do such stuff outside the manor, Hmph." She stood in front of Shen Yuan, folding her arms across her chest as she lectured him. He smiled lightly at her, knowing she didn''t really mean what she was saying¡ªshe was just jealous. It was practically written on her face that she wanted to be intimate with Shen Yuan. He walked closer to her and pulled into a hug, making her eyes widen slightly in surprise, "I love you as well, Sister Huo. Do you not want to do such things with meter." He asked in a sensual voice beside her ear. Which made her face red as she lowered her head, Shen Yuan had a smug grin on her face as he looked at how easy it was to make Huo Rong embarrassed. He gently lifted her head to meet her gaze. She quickly averted her eyes, feeling shy as he drew closer. Shen Yuan smiled and leaned in. He kissed her red lips, she had light makeup which only enhanced her beauty. The kiss soon turned intense as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to feel his body. Shen Yuan wrapped one arm around her waist while fondling her ass with his other hand. She felt her body heat rising as Shen Yuan yed with her ass and enjoyed her lips at the same time. Her nipples hardened against Shen Yuan''s chest, he sure felt it as he hugged her tightly. After what felt like an eternity, they separated from each other, a string of saliva connecting their lips as Shen Yuan patted her ass and asked, "Happy now?" To which Huo Rong replied with a soft note of acknowledgment, "Nm" Shen Yuan then looked towards the ice beauty who was sitting on the chair and was looking intensely towards them but averted her gaze as soon as Shen Yuan tilted his head towards her direction. He smiled lightly and started walking towards her. Meanwhile, Shen Yuxin looked at all this with a soft smile and imagined how their future together as a family would look. Huo Rong just stood in the same ce, cing one finger on her lips as if savoring the aftertaste of the kiss. Soon Shen Yuan reached Bing Rong''s side, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards his embrace as he hugged her. "Why are you sulking here? You could have juste forward like Sister Huo you know?" He asked with a small smile while softly patting the back of her head. Bing Rong felt her body freezing as she didn''t say anything and only rested her head on his chest. Feeling his heartbeat slowly, Shen Yuan smiled and lifted her head to give her a kiss as well. Bing Rong''s heart skipped a beat as she knew what wasing. She closed her eyes and leaned her head towards Shen Yuan, who gently held her cheeks and leaned forward as well. Their lips touched and she felt a chill coursing through her body, she wrapped her arms around her neck and began kissing him deeply. Shen Yuan caressed her body as it released a light chill, making the experience unique and enjoyable. They enjoyed the kiss for a bit as she gently broke it, looking straight into Shen Yuan''s eyes with a smile. He also smiled and then left her as he turned around, only to see that both Shen Yuxin and Huo Rong were looking at him with a smile. "Let''s eat breakfast now." He spoke to all of them with a smile. They all came towards the dining table and sat down. Eating the delicious food prepared by the manor chefs. Just then, Yue Lan''s voice echoed in his mind, [I forgot to mention but you should look at the other rewards from the system now as well.] Shen Yuan paused slightly, ''What rewards?'' He asked as he didn''t think about what rewards he missed, he already had the technique for dual cultivating with Shen Yuxin. [You missed quite a few rewards, you should im them now. They will be useful to you and your family.] ''Fair enough, im all of my rewards.'' Shen Yuan nodded in agreement as he was quite free right now and could look through all of them as well. [Ding!] [Congrattions Host for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, you have acquired Foundation Refining Pills.] [Ding!] [Congrattions Host for adding Huo Rong to your Harem, You have acquired ''Twin Phoenix Nirvana Sutra''.] [Ding!] [Congrattions Host for adding Bing Rong to your Harem. You have acquired a gourd of Dao Perfecting Pills.] [Dao Perfecting Pills: Perfect the foundation of cultivators for future cultivation.] [Ding!] [Congrattions Host for turning 18 and activating the system. You have acquired Eternal Yin-Yang Sutra] [Ding!] [Congrattions Host for adding Shen Yuxin as your Harem Member. You have acquired Nine-Tailed Fox Divine Scripture.] ¡­ Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up in excitement as he saw the rain of notifications, there were even more messages raining down on him as he couldn''t even see all the details. ''What the fuck, Yue Lan! You were saying that these are few rewards?!? I haven''t even received so many rewards from you at once before.'' Shen Yuan really had an urge to curse as he saw the amount of rewards he got from the system. Yue Lan giggled softly as she answered him, [It''s truly a small amount for me. Who knew that you were such a broke guy who hadn''t even seen a few treasures.] Shen Yuan felt a vein pop up on his forehead as he nearly cursed Yue Lan''s shamelessness. He calmed down as he replied back to her, ''You know full well that it''s due to the lower level of this world that I don''t have good treasures, otherwise, I would have been fucking loaded with treasure.'' Yue Lan didn''t let him continue his fantasy as she spoke in a light tone, [In a higher ne you would have been hunted down by the crazy female cultivators due to your physique only. And all peak powers of higher realms would hunt you down for your unprecedented bloodline.] Shen Yuan felt as if a cold bucket of water had been dropped on him as he asked in a low tone, ''Is it true? Hmm¡­even if it''s true I won''t die so soon, since I have been reborn in this lower ne and with quite a good background, I will take full advantage of it and grow stronger.'' At the end of his word, he felt a newfound surge of confidence in himself and his abilities. Yue Lan also got silent as she indeed had to admit that he had the best chances of rising in this lower ne. Shen Yuan once more looked through the various treasures he had just now, picking a few and keeping them in a separate ce. Chapter 92: Gifts They all soon finished their food, "Let''s go to the garden for a bit." Shen Yuan spoke with a smile as he stood up and went towards the garden. Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong followed after him as they also wondered what he wanted to talk about since he didn''t specify what they were going in the garden for. After all, they don''t usually go for a walk after breakfast. They walked through the hallway to reach the garden. Soon they reached the garden and they all sat down on the chairs ced in the center of the garden. "I wanted to give you guys some gifts, I acquired them from my system after doing a few achievements," he spoke with a smug grin, after all the gifts that he was about to give them were not ordinary, and they might not even find them in the whole Deste Continent. Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong curiously looked toward him. After seeing that he hadn''t said anything for a while, Huo Rong urged him, "What are you waiting for now Yuan''er?? Show us what you are going to give us." Huo Rong spoke without feeling shy as she knew that she had to take all the opportunities that she could get otherwise she would fall behind Shen Yuan by far too much. Bing Rong and Shen Yuxin also looked towards Shen Yuan, wondering what he would give them. He finally broke the suspense as he waved his hand and took out three pills, cing one in front of each of them. He smiled as looked at their curious expression. Since the pills were sealed by the system so they wouldn''t lose their efficiency, they couldn''t tell what was special about the pills. Huo Rong picked up her pills and looked at them curiously from all angles, "What''s the use of this pill Yuan''er?" She looked at him and asked. "They are to solidify your foundation and make it perfect, it''s a lot better than having you recultivate from the start." Shen Yuan answered what he saw from the system. "Hmm, but isn''t our foundation already solid? I mean we have the best cultivation in our sect and we took a lot of heavenly treasures to perfect our foundation." Bing Rong asked as the Shen Yuxin herself helped in their cultivation. Shen Yuxin smiled lightly, "You both should take the pill, I''m sure whatever Yue Lan gave is much better than what I provided for you both." Both Huo Rong and Bing Rong nodded their heads as they realized their mistake. Just then Shen Yuan spoke, "This is not all, the pill will also help in changing your cultivation art without a problem, you will have to consolidate your foundation for a bit but it will be worth it." "Hmm? You have cultivation techniques for us as well Yuan''er?" Bing Rong asked as she tilted her head slightly. Shen Yuan took out two manuals and ced them in front of Huo Rong and Bing Rong "This technique is for twins''. Yue Lan divided it into two separate techniques to suit your elements, now you two can exert greater might whenever you both fight." Huo Rong and Bing Rong touched the techniques, which to their astonishment turned into particles and floated into their foreheads. Yue Lan''s voice sounded in their heads, [The technique will be stored in your Sea of Consciousness, but you will have toprehend it yourself over time.] Huo Rong and Bing Rong nodded their heads in understanding. Shen Yuan took out another cultivation manual and handed it to Shen Yuxin, "Here, this one''s for you, Mom." Shen Yuxin touched it lightly and it also turned into particles and imprinted itself in her sea of consciousness. "This technique seems to be specifically made for me. Do you know what cultivation technique this is, Yuan''er?" Shen Yuan remembered something and shook his head, "I don''t know mom, Yue Lan chose all the techniques, she only told me about Sister Huo and Sister Bing''s technique because she had to divide it. I don''t even know the names." "Mhn" Shen Yuxin gently nodded as she thought ''I need to tell him about my race one of these days.'' She worried that he would find out one day himself and would feel betrayed that she didn''t tell him, but she hadn''t found a good enough time to tell him about it. "Alright, that''s enough distribution for now, let''s talk about what to do next since I can''t cultivate." Bing Rong asked, "Since you can''t cultivate currently then what do you want to do? Explore the world or join a sect?" Shen Yuan nodded his head seriously, "Yes, I do need to explore the world to gain experience, but with you all, it would be meaningless since you can handle all the trouble." Shen Yuxin nodded as she didn''t want him to be turned out like the spoiled young master who was only good enough to scare chickens. "Then what n do you have, Yuan''er? Huo Rong asked as she was curious about what n he would make for now. "You all should take the pill and cultivate for now inside my Dual Cultivation Chambers, with that, you can be with me all the time, so even if some problem arises that I can''t deal with I can have you guys as a backup. But such a situation is unlikely since I will also have life-saving trump cards at my disposal." He spoke with a smug expression on his face. If someone who didn''t know about his reserves of treasure heard him say that, they would have an urge to beat him up. Shen Yuxin and the others giggled softly looking at him. Shen Yuxinughed softly and asked him, "So what is your n now? You exined everything but your n." "Cough, I was getting to that part," Shen Yuan coughed lightly as he continued, "Hmm¡­ I will leave tomorrow morning, I need to get a map and buy some stuff from the system as well. I will journey towards the Aurora ins from here, we are at the edges of Emerald Wilderness so I will take quite some time to reach there." Huo Rong asked, "Why don''t you take the Master''s ship? You can reach our sect in no time at all." "Then what''s the point of adventuring to gain experience? Haha don''t worry, a lot of ships travel from one ce to another, I can take those." Shen Yuan said while shaking his head lightly. Huo Rong also realized what he meant by gaining experience as she nodded. "I will give you a map of our current location and the location of our sect. You can reach the city and ask around for it. It''s pretty famous so it won''t be hard at all to find it." Bing Rong answered him as she took out a map from her storage ring and passed it to Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan epted the map and unscrolled it, he could see an azure dot and a pink dot blinking, "Hmm? What are these blinking dots?" He asked them after looking at the map. Chapter 93: Farewell to Maids Huo Rong replied to him, "The Azure dot is you and the Pink dot is our sect. You can check your location in real-time to not get lost." "I won''t get lost so easily, don''t worry about it." He chuckled lightly as he reassured them. Shen Yuxin and the others also nodded their heads as they felt that they were over-worrying for him. Shen Yuan soon folded the map and ced it inside his inventory. He smiled warmly towards the three women, "I know you guys are worried but I''m capable of handling myself now." Shen Yuxin smiled softly, "We know that Yuan''er. It''s just¡­ we can''t help but worry since you haven''t left home alone. And the cultivation world is far too dangerous." Huo Rong and Bing Rong nodded in agreement. They continued chatting as Yue Lan also chimed in from time to time. ¡­ Shen Yuan stood up as he stretched, "Alright, then it''s decided. I will leave tomorrow in the morning towards the Aurora Zone and you three will cultivate in the Dual Cultivation Chambers." Shen Yuxin nced at him with a gentle smile, "We will prepare some things for your journey. And we still have to settle the mansion and send away the maids." Shen Yuan nodded in agreement, "Alright, I will leave the mansion''s preparation to you, Mom. As for the maids, we can give them a good sum of money to settle in somewhere. We won''t be returning here for a long time and they have served us quite well." Huo Rong spoke to him, her voice filled with a teasing tone, "You sure you don''t want to keep a few around, Yuan''er? All of them seem pretty fond of you." She raised an eyebrow, clearly talking about the earlier discussion between the maids in the morning. Shen Yuan chuckled slightly, "I think they have had enough excitement for one lifetime." Bing Rong also spoke up in agreement, "I think it''s better if we gave them some treasures and spirit stones to settle down. With you traveling around and us in seclusion, it wouldn''t be safe to keep them around." Shen Yuxin also nodded in agreement, "I agree. So with that decided, Shen Yuan will be the one to send away the maids. You also have a lot of treasures and spirit stones to spare." She also had a mischievous spark in her eyes as she joined Huo Rong in teasing him. Shen Yuan shook his head slightly with a smile, "Alright, I will settle the maids, you don''t have to worry about them." Yue Lan''s voice echoed in Shen Yuan''s mind, [You know, I don''t think some of them would mind joining your harem either.] Shen Yuan groaned inwardly, ''I can''t even dual cultivate with two of my harem members right now and you want me to add more?'' Yue Lan instantly replied, [Hoh, so if you were able to dual cultivate with them you would have taken them with you?] Shen Yuan got silent as even he didn''t know if he would let the chance pass by. After All even the mansion maids were geniuses in the outside world. [I was just reminding you because more harem members means more Chaos Coins.] Yue Lan then told him about his intentions. Shen Yuan mentally waved her off and returned his focus to the conversation with his family. ????*???§Á "Alright," he pped his hands lightly, "Let''s make sure everything is settled by tonight so that I can start fresh in the morning." Shen Yuxin stood up as she spoke, "I will take care of the mansion. Huo Rong and Bing Rong, you two should prepare for the seclusion, it will take us some time to adjust to the Dual Cultivation Chambers." Huo Rong and Bing Rong agreed, standing up to get started on their task. As they made their way towards the exit of the garden, Shen Yuan caught Huo Rong''s hand and pulled her close for a hug. "It will be a while before we see each other. I will miss you." He said softly, kissing her forehead. Huo Rong blushed slightly, she smiled as she patted his chest, "Don''t worry, you can visit me whenever you want inside the Dual Cultivation Chambers." She winked at him at the end of her words. Shen Yuan chuckled softly as he turned toward Bing Rong, who gave him a soft smile. He hugged her too, whispering softly, "Take care of yourself, Sister Bing." "I will," Bing Rong blushed slightly as she nodded her head softly. As the two left to prepare, Shen Yuxin lingered behind, watching them leave with a warm smile. She then turned towards Shen Yuan. "It''s really hard to let you go alone in the outside world but I know you will do just fine.'' Shen Yuan smiled, pulling his mother in a gentle hug, "I''ll be fine, Mom. No need to worry so much." Shen Yuxin nodded lightly as she rested her head on his chest for a moment. They stayed like this for a moment, "You should now go and settle things with the maids. I will go and prepare for the rest." Shen Yuan nodded and gently pulled away, "Then I will do that." He kissed her on the forehead, making her smile happily. He turned around to leave the room. Shen Yuxin also left the room to make preparations. ¡­ Shen Yuan made his way back to the manor, preparing to gather all the maids in the main hall and preparing for what would most likely be a farewell. Despite the light teasing from his family earlier, he knew that these women had been loyal to his family for decades, and it would feel strange to not have them around any longer. As he entered the main hall, he found Mei Ling, the head maid, already waiting for him with the other maids behind her. It seems someone among his family already told them to gather here for him. "Young Master Yuan," All the other maids greeted him with a bow as Mei Ling asked with a polite tone, "We have heard that you are preparing to leave the mansion. Is there anything we can do to help with the preparations?" Shen Yuan smiled warmly at her, "Thank you, Mei Ling and everyone. You all have done amazingly for our family in the past, but it is now time for a farewell.'' he paused slightly, "I''m preparing to leave for a long journey, and the rest of the family will be entering in Closed-Door Seclusion for a while. It wouldn''t be fair to keep you all here locked up when there won''t even be anyone to serve." The maids exchanged nces among themselves, clearly saddened with the news but they understood that it was bound to happen someday. Mei Ling spoke up again, her tone gentle, "We understand, Young Master Yuan. It has been an honor to serve you and your family. But¡­ is there truly no way for us to remain by your side? Or serve your family? We would dly continue serving you, no matter what that may take from us." Shen Yuan looked at them, each of them showing their loyalty in their expression. He thought back to Yue Lan''s teasing earlier and sighed inwardly, he asked Yue Lan, ''Can we keep them inside the Dual Cultivation Chambers?'' Chapter 94: Farewell Gifts Yue Lan replied directly, [It would take much more coins to let them live inside that space, and it would also be detrimental to their growth. You can give them some treasure and cultivation art instead and let them soar the skies on their own.] Shen Yuan contemted for a bit and agreed to her reasoning, which he already knew but couldn''te to ept as he would also miss them. After all, they yed with him when he was little and took great care of him. He made up his mind as he spoke in a serious tone, "I appreciate your loyalty more than I can express, but the journey ahead of me would not only be dangerous but also uncertain, and I don''t want any of you to face such dangers when you aren''t even prepared for them." He looked at their disappointed expression as his tone softened. He continued, "However, I have prepared a few things for you, so if you continue walking down the path of cultivation then it isn''t impossible for us to meet again, or I might evene back to find you once I have grown powerful enough." With that said he waved his sleeves and heaps of treasures and spirit stones materialized in front of the maids. The maids looked at the treasures in shock. They were far more than they had expected, enough to start their own sects or factions, but there was hesitation in their eyes due to the sheer amount of treasuresid out in front of them. Mei Ling stepped forward once again, her voice filled with determination, "We are truly grateful for your generosity, but if therees a time when you need us, we hope you will call upon us. It would be our greatest honor to serve you again." Shen Yuan smiled, feeling a bit emotional, "I will always be grateful for whatever you have done for me and my family, this is the least that you all deserve. And if a timees when I will need you, I will let you know." The maids bowed deeply, epting the treasures but still feeling down because of the farewell. Lian Hua, the one who tends the garden and greenery inside the mansion stepped forward, presenting a small token to Shen Yuan, "A token of our gratitude, Young Master Yuan. May it serve to remind you that we will always be loyal to you." Shen Yuan epted it with a gentle smile, feeling some emotions building up within him for the maids. But he soon shook his head and left towards the exit while waving his hand, "Till next time." All the maids bowed in his direction, "Farewell, Young Master Yuan." ¡­ Later that evening, Shen Yuan stood on the edge of the mansion''s rooftop, watching the sunset. The day was filled with the excitement of getting rewards and the sadness of farewells, but now everything was done, and only leaving was left. As he stood there lost in his own world, Yue Lan''s voice echoed in his mind, [Looks like everything is settled. Are you ready for what is toe next?] Shen Yuan took a moment to gather his thoughts as he replied, "Yes, not only am I prepared but I am also excited." Yue Lan materialized on top of his head in her cat form and purred softly, [Good. That''s the right mindset, no need to feel nervous or anxious for what is toe. After all, you will have to face it one day no matter what decision you make.] Shen Yuan smiled slightly and nodded in agreement. He gazed at the sunset as he spoke, "You are right, no point in holding back now. I have already decided so no point in turning back now." Yue Lan flicked her tailzily and replied, [Exactly. You are about to step into the cultivation world now but remember, you have got everything one can wish for. Talent, Strength, and Companions are all on your side. Now it''s time to see how you will face the unknown.] Shen Yuan also knew that now was the time for his real test to begin. "Now that I remember it, I don''t think I will be able to dual cultivate with Mom today." He smiled helplessly as he shook his head. Yue Lan stood up, stretched, and asked, [Why do you say so?] Shen Yuan replied as he looked back at the manor, "It''s because Sister Huo and Sister Bing won''t leave me alone with her tonight. After all, they will also enter closed-door seclusion from tomorrow so they will miss me as well." [Oh right, hahaha you are losing from being too sessful.] Yue Lan didn''t waste a single second as sheughed at him. Shen Yuan ignored her and walked back inside the manor. Walking through the empty hallways where once maids worked or tended to the garden, he felt a bit lonely as he realized that separations were inevitable in the path of cultivation. He didn''t dwell on his feelings for much longer as he reached his room. Inside, Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong were dressed in tight nightgowns which only highlighted their ample features. Shen Yuan felt his heart skip a beat as he took in the sight of his family. Looking at Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong made his mind race. Shen Yuxin smiled gently towards him, her eyes filled with warmth as she noticed him, "Yuan''er, you are finally here. We were just talking about you." She said, her calm voiceced with subtle affection. Huo Rong, who was seated next to her, gave him a yful smirk, "Looks like you are in for a long night Yuan''er." She teased with a suggestive tone. Bing Rong, though usually quiet and shy, couldn''t help but nce toward him with a slight blush on her cheeks. "It''s ourst night together so we wanted to spend it with you." Shen Yuan chuckled lightly, entering the room as he shook his head, "You three never make it easy for me huh." Yue Lan, who was lying on her shoulder, snickered mischievously, [Looks like you are in for a treat Shen Yuan. Enjoy it while itsts, because once they go into seclusion then you won''t meet with them for a long time. Of Course, if you are going to find some other members for your harem then that''s a different thing.] Shen Yuan felt like strangling the little piece of shit for igniting a fire in such a peaceful atmosphere ''This little¡­'' As he stepped closer to the bed, Shen Yuxin spoke up with a mischievous tone, "Hmm¡­ We have to think seriously about this. I personally don''t have any problem with Shen Yuan finding a harem member as long as she is worthy of him." Huo Rong and Bing Rong opened their eyes wide as they heard what Shen Yuxin spoke, Huo Rong hurriedly spoke up, "Wait, we haven''t even officially be a couple yet! Why are you adding more women to his harem?" Bing Rong hesitated for a bit but also agreed with Huo Rong''s statement in the end. Shen Yuxin listened to their argument and asked them in a light tone, "Well, you tell me, when all of us will be in seclusion, someone needs to apany Yuan''er, right? Then why shouldn''t he just find another beautiful wife for himself? It will be better than finding someone randomly and she can also join our sectter." Chapter 95: New Journey Huo Rong and Bing Rong paused as what Shen Yuxin spoke made sense. After all, Shen Yuan would be alone outside, someone should apany him. Huo Rong frowned slightly but soon her expression softened as she thought over Shen Yuxin''s words, "I guess¡­it does make sense. But I think it''s still too soon to think about adding more people to his harem." She crossed her arms, lightly ncing towards Shen Yuan. Bing Rong, nodded hesitantly, "I¡­ I agree with Sister Huo. It''s not whether it makes sense or not but we have just started to build this rtionship." She blushed heavily as she spoke, and her voice got lower as she finished, "It feels¡­rushed." Shen Yuan, who was standing near the bed, scratched his head as he hadn''t expected such a conversation. He loved them all dearly, and the thought of adding more women to his harem crossed his mind pretty often but not before fully stabilizing his rtionship with Huo Rong and Bing Rong. "I understand how you feel," he gently spoke, trying to ease the situation, "I''m not looking to add new members to the harem just yet. My focus is on you all and our time together. Even if I do end up finding someone who I want to add to the harem, I would talk with you all before doing that." Huo Rong and Bing Rong smiled happily after hearing this, no longer hung up on the issue. Shen Yuxin, however, chuckled lightly, "Yuan''er, we know your heart is big enough to care for all of us. But in the Cultivation world, the strong rule the weak with an iron fist and they usually have a lot ofpanions. It''s only natural as you grow stronger you will attract a lot of heavenly beauties." She reached out and gently pulled him to sit beside her, "I just want to make sure that when the timees you won''t hesitate due to feeling guilty. After all that can form a heart demonter." She spoke thest part seriously while looking at him. Shen Yuan smiled softly looking at how his mother was worried about his future. They continued chatting andughing as the night arrived, Shen Yuan slept in the middle, on his right side was Huo Rong, and on his left Bing Rong. Shen Yuxin as before slept on top of him. ¡­ Shen Yuan and his Mother finished their preparations as they stood outside the manor. The manor was situated in the middle of a forest beside ake. "It''s time to leave, huh." Shen Yuan spoke as he looked back at the massive mansion, "What should we do about this mansion? Leave it here?" He asked curiously as he didn''t want to leave the mansion behind since he had so many memories with it. Shen Yuxin smiled lightly as she heard him speak, "You don''t have to worry about that, Yuan''er. This mansion in itself is an artifact and a high-level one at that." She raised her hand and the mansion began shaking, destroying the surroundings as it shrinks down to the size of a toyhouse. It came flying and rested on Shen Yuxin''s hand, she gave Shen Yuan a smug smile, "What do you think? Pretty good right?" Shen Yuan nodded his head as he didn''t expect that the mansion he had been living in for the past 18 years was an artifact. But due to its high grade, he didn''t realize this fact sooner. "Here, you can have it." Shen Yuxin spoke as she threw the miniature mansion towards Shen Yuan who hurriedly caught it. It weighed almost nothing in his palm, he looked at it and felt a close connection with it. "I have removed my imprint from it, you can use your Qi to leave an imprint on it. You should ce it in your dantian because it will take a long time due to your low cultivation base. This treasure is ranked pretty high on the Treasure List of Deste Continent." Shen Yuxin spoke as she looked at him staring at the mansion. He first followed her instructions and started sending his Qi to the mansion, when he felt a little connection forming he sent it inside his dantian. ?§à??§ä&?*?*-+§¾&¦Ã-- He raised his head, "What do you mean by Treasure List, Mom?" "You should learn about it yourself, after all, you are wandering the world to gain experience." She giggled as she left him in suspense. Meanwhile, Huo Rong and Bing Rong also came back now, "Hey! we are back from the nearby city." Huo Rong called out from afar as they floated toward Shen Yuan and Shen Yuxin. "Why did you leave for the city so early in the morning?" He asked them. "Because we wanted to buy some local clothes and essories from here. Since we are leaving, we might as well take the local specialties." Huo Rong giggled happily. Bing Rong looked to the side since she didn''t want to admit that they went out just for some clothes in the morning. Shen Yuan shook his head and chuckled softly, "Alright, it''s time to leave." "We are in the Emerald Wilderness Zone, it will take you weeks or even months just to leave it since not many ships travel to other zones." Shen Yuxin spoke as she looked at Shen Yuan. "Then do you have any other ns in mind, Mom?" Shen Yuan asked as he didn''t want to waste so much time just in another zone. Shen Yuxin smiled lightly and snapped her fingers, the scenery around them changed without them even realizing it as they left the huge forest area and arrived on vast green ins. Everywhere they looked was nds with grass, Shen Yuan still hadn''t realized how they left the forest so soon as he took in the sight of his surroundings. "Wait, have you mastered Space Law, Mom?" This was the only conclusion he coulde up with as he turned towards Shen Yuxin and asked her. Shen Yuxin gently shook her head, "Mastery is a bit too much but yes I indeed have learned a bit about Space Laws." Huo Rong and Bing Rong were clearly used to it as they didn''t reveal much surprise as they looked at Shen Yuan''s surprised expression in amusement. "Yuan''er is really much better than us. When we saw how the Master used her Space Law for the first time we couldn''t evenprehend what power it was." Bing Rong gently spoke as she held a hint of admiration in her voice. They continued chatting for a bit as the time for farewell came closer. Shen Yuan looked at his family, stepping towards each of them one by one, and hugged them as he kissed their foreheads. "I hope to meet the three of you soon enough." He spoke as he gently stepped back. Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong smiled sweetly at him. They shared their goodbyes and Yue Lan transported all his family to Dual Cultivation Chambers. Shen Yuan sighed lightly looking at the empty scene, seeing this Yue Lan spoke, [Are you feeling down already? There is a long way to go, Shen Yuan. You can''t be feeling weak already.] Chapter 96: Caravan Shen Yuan shook his head lightly as he finally smiled and replied, "No need to annoy me. I''m not feeling down, just a bit sad at the separation. But we will soon meet again, so no need to worry so much." He looked towards the horizon, feeling the gentle breeze blowing on his white robes. "Time to look for someone to ask for directions." He spoke as the map wasn''t detailed and only big terrains were marked on it." ¡­ Shen Yuan ran for some time on the grassy ins until he found a road. MVLeMpYr-your-novel-source "Fuck! I need something for traveling, I can''t be walking on my feet throughout my journey," he spoke as he realized how much he had run on the ins. "I have been running for a few hours now and the distance I have covered should be in the thousands of km" He slowed down as he walked on the road. "I should be able to find someone traveling on the road, right?" He thought aloud as he continued walking. As Shen Yuan walked on the road, the light heat of the sun and the chilly breeze made for afortable journey. He heard something from his back as he looked behind him in the distance and saw a plume of dust begin to rise, and soon enough, he could make out the outline of a caravel approaching. "Finally," he muttered to himself, "Seems like I got myself somepany atst." He stood aside as he waited for the caravan toe closer. The caravan came closer, revealing a group of merchants, guards, and travelers on what seemed like horses and carts. The leader of the caravan, a middle-aged man with a healthy body, noticed Shen Yuan and told the caravan to stop. After all, it wasn''t every day that they got to see such a handsome young man traveling the world. The caravan leader thought, ''Seems like he is an heir of some prestigious n. I should build up a connection with him.'' He was also in the business for long enough to spot every opportunity that came his way, he stepped down from the carriage and arrived in front of Shen Yuan. "Good day, Young Man! Why is such a fine young man like yourself traveling alone on this road?" His voice was friendly but held a hint of curiosity. Shen Yuan smiled politely, "I''m just passing through this area, heading towards the next city. Mind if I tag along for a bit?" The merchant''s eyes lit up as he chuckled slightly and nodded, "Of course, young man. It''s not safe to travel alone on these roads, there are far too many bandits lurking around. We are heading towards Green Mountain City, about a day''s ride from here." Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up, "Green Mountain City, huh. How far away is it from here exactly?" "A good day''s journey by the caravan from here, and if the weather is worse then the time will increase." The merchant replied. "The city is famous for its massive Green Mountain which it is built on, because of that attraction it''s a good ce for trade as well. The most famous thing about that city is the various herbs and medicines you can find there." He introduced the city a bit. He then nced toward Shen Yuan''s robe, noticing its fine quality, "If I may ask, are you a rogue cultivator?" Shen Yuan nodded, "Something like that, I''m looking to explore the cultivation world to gain experience." The merchant nodded in understanding, "Ah, a wise decision indeed young man. It''s important to explore the world on your own to know how cruel it is. It''s due to this reason a lot of prestigious n members are snotty brats who don''t know the immensity of heaven and earth." The merchant showed his contempt for the unreliable n members, "They only know how to ruin their n''s name." Shen Yuan chuckled, "Seems like you''ve got some history with a big n member." He noticed the merchant''s unusual disdain for useless members of the ns as he tried to probe for more information. The merchant realized he had spoken too much in the heat of the moment as he shook his head, "Never mind that young man. Do you want to travel with us for a bit? We can share some knowledge about the world with you as well." He finally went to his first point, even though Shen Yuan denied being a member of a prestigious n. He could tell from his demeanor that he was absolutely from a high-ranking n. So he didn''t leave the chance as even if he turned out to be wrong, there was no problem in forging connections with such a promising young man. Shen Yuan smiled lightly, "I already epted your invitation, looks like you are quite forgetful even with a cultivation base in the Inner Sea realm." The merchant''s eyes widened slightly before heughed aloud, "Good, good, I underestimated you,d. Looks like you are stronger than you look." He walked back towards his carriage and sat down on it, "Come, let''s go." He invited Shen Yuan to sit with him so they could talk more. The caravan started to travel again with a new additional member amidst them. He talked with the merchant and he revealed his surname to be Luo, so Shen Yuan started calling him Old Luo. He talked about the surrounding cities and the power structure, the notable locations, etc. He also heard the random discussion among the guards, some talked about returning soon and returning to their vige to marry their childhood sweethearts. While other more ambitious individuals expressed their desire to join a sect to further their cultivation. Most of the guards were in the Foundation Establishment realm, and even though they were nothing more than ants in front of him, their hotbloodedness still affected him as he felt his own ambitions soar. As time passed, they traveled through one vige after another, stopping briefly to trade with the locals. Shen Yuan also left the caravan to explore the viges at each stop. But he didn''t find anything interesting except the peaceful life of the vigers. He smiled lightly looking at the pure environment. "So, what should I expect in Green Mountain City?" He asked one of the guards who seemed experienced and familiar with the area. The guard, a tall man with a scar on the right side of his face, nodded, "Green Mountain is a good ce for Alchemists and Pharmacists. They have got several small-scale sects with Alchemy and medicine as the focus. There is even a branch of Alchemy Association in the Green Mountain City." He paused, "But if you want more cultivation-rted resources then you should head towards the north from Green Mountain City, towards Heavens Gate City. It''s one of the major cities of this Empire. The Heaven''s Gate City is famous for its elite cultivation academies, so if you are interested, It might be worth a visit." Shen Yuan thought about it but Heaven''s Gate City was not in his route towards the destination so he dropped the idea and talked more with the guard about other locations around the Green Mountain City. Chapter 97: Information After memorizing the information, Shen Yuan asked, "And what about the dangers? There should be plenty of bandits with such resource-rich cities all around, right?" The guard spat on the ground, "Tsk, don''t ask about those bastards, the roads are filled with them. And not only a few bandits but fucking groups of them. There is one group that calls themselves the ck Viper Gang up ahead on the route towards Green Mountain City." The guard''s anger surged as he continued, "They have been harassing the merchants and traveling on the road for weeks now. We have managed to avoid them for so long but I heard whoever met them didn''t end up good." Shen Yuan''s expression remained calm, though inside he was eager to test his new strength. "I see, hopefully you won''t meet up with them." The guard gave him a polite nod, "That''s all we can hope, if we really fought then a lot of our men will die in battle. That''s not something I want to see." He shook his head helplessly. As the caravan continued their journey, Shen Yuan came towards Old Luo, "Old Luo, it''s about time we part. I still need to hone myself so I will look for challenges around here." He spoke politely and bid his farewell. Old Luo politely nodded his head as well, "It was good to know you young friend, but you should be careful to who you test your strength against. Don''t eat more than you can chew. We will soon be camping for the night." Old Luo paused, and then continued in a light tone, "May we meet again, Young Friend." The caravan continued forward after dropping off Shen Yuan on the Road. He waved his hand to bid them farewell. "Haah," he stretched and continued while smiling lightly, "It was a good experience, the world is filled with all kinds of people, even if he wanted to forge connections with me, he wasn''t a bad person. And he didn''t push me for it as well." Yue Lan''s voice echoed in his mind, [He was a merchant, after all, he knows when to advance or when to concede. That''s why he didn''t persuade you to travel with him. He knew that would only annoy you or make you look down on him, so he took his leave at the perfect time.] After finishing speaking, Yue Lan materialized on his shoulder. Shen Yuan chuckled lightly, "No matter, let''s move forward. I heard that there is a forest ahead, the perfect ce for ambushing. Hehe, it will be fun." Yue Lan paused slightly, [Haven''t you be rather confident after your training in the forest? And you don''t even hesitate when the thought of killing bandits passes through your mind.] Shen Yuan took a moment to reflect on himself. He thought about how he needed to protect his family and not be a burden on them. Then he spoke seriously, "This is a dog-eat-dog world, if I don''t learn how to kill and survive and hesitate while fighting then I will be the one to get killed. And I can''t leave my family behind." He paused, remembering about his family, he smiled gently while what he spoke next would send chills to the spines of anyone who heard what he spoke next, "So I will kill, kill, kill and kill so much until no one can stand before me." Yue Lan got silent as she heard what he spoke, she approved of his decision to be more ruthless as it wouldn''t be wise to be merciful in this world. But she didn''t think he would change so soon, ''Is his bloodline affecting him somehow? I wasn''t expecting this drastic change in him after a single training session.'' Yue Lan thought inwardly as she couldn''t guess the reason for such an abrupt change. Even if it was a good thing it shouldn''t have changed his personality so drastically. She soon shook her head inwardly as she couldn''te up with a solid answer. [Shen Yuan, you are growing stronger, but be careful to not lose your humanity in the process. It will be a life worse than death for you if that happened.] Yue Lan finally decided to warn him about the possible consequences in a soft voice. Shen Yuan smiled lightly, "I know who I am, Yue Lan. But if this world demands blood, then I will baptize it with as much as it wants." his voice held certainty, his eyes filled with rity, yet behind them, a faint glimmer of something primal flickered. Yue Lan stayed silent to observe him, but not noticing anything different, she didn''t continue on the topic. If in the future he strays from the right path then she will correct it herself, after all, she won''t be leaving his side anytime soon. As Shen Yuan continued running on the road, he soon surpassed the location where the caravan stopped to stay the night. After some time, he saw an outline of a huge forest from a long distance away. The forest loomed overnd as if a massive green monster, taking up millions of miles of space. The main road inside the forest was filled with dry leaves and branches. The shadows filled the roads making it darker throughout. A perfect ce for an ambush as Shen Yuan slowed down when he reached the entrance of the forest. Yue Lan''s eyes twitched, [Noticed something different?] She asked in a light tone, checking if his senses were sharp. Shen Yuan chuckled lightly, "Looks like the time to test my strength hase." He confidently stepped on the forest path, his eyes scanning the area around him. The forest was far too silent, he couldn''t even hear the noises of beasts and insects in the surroundings. This was a major w in their disguise. However, he didn''t have any n to let them continue their little game, "Come out!" Shen Yuan''s voice echoed through the forest, "I know you lot want to die so hurry up." For a moment, the forest got more silent than before, almost as if everything was bing still. Then shadows began emerging from the depths of the trees, and a group of men d in ck robes and leather armor appeared, each of them wielding a different weapon. At the forefront stood a burly man with a scar running down his face¨Cclearly the leader of the group. "Well well, what do we have here?" The leader''s deep voice rumbled through the air, "A young brat traveling all alone, and from the looks of it even from a wealthy family. You must be either brave or foolish, but since you meet us, it means you are foolish. Bahaha" he sinisterlyughed as he raised his sword and pointed it at Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan remained calm and unfazed, "I assume you are the ck Viper Gang?" He calmly asked. The leader''sughter stopped as he looked at him with a wide grin on his face, "You all heard that? Looks like we are famous now! Hahaha," heughed while pointing at Shen Yuan, hisckeys alsoughed wildly while pointing their weapons at him in a mocking gesture. Chapter 98: Bandits "Indeed, brat. And you have walked right into our territory. We built this road and nted these trees, so hand over all your wealth and treasures aspensation to use it. Or you can try to resist, hahaha, I heard there is a shortage of pretty-faced young ones in the ve market. You will fit right into it." Shen Yuan''s eyes shed, "ve market? Where is this ve market you speak of?" He didn''t know that there was a ve market in this world, ''Seems like the cultivation world is darker than I thought, sigh.'' The leader looked at him as if he couldn''t believe what he heard, "Bahahaha, brothers, you heard what this brat said? Hahaha." The bandit''sughter became even more wild as they heard his question. Meanwhile, Shen Yuan didn''t move an inch from his ce and patiently waited for them to answer, since from the looks of it the leader was a chatty one. "Each city has a ve market you naive brat. I don''t know how you were raised up that you don''t even know such basic stuff. You just need to visit the ck market to find whatever you want." The leader finally ceasedughing and told him about it. novel-hosted-MvLeMpYr Shen Yuan nodded his head and spoke, "I will spare your life as my token of thanks for sharing this knowledge, if you don''t want to die, then scram!" The leader and the otherckeys got silent as they looked at him as if he were an idiot. "I told you all that so you won''t die as a curious ghost. Not because I''m kind enough to let you live. And now you dare to ask me to scram? The sheer arrogance¡­ I should end you for that alone!" Shen Yuan chuckled lightly, "And I wanted so much time talking with you lot to see if I can gain something interesting. Looks like I found where to go next, so now your lives are worthless." The leader felt his anger rising at being seen in such contemptuous manner by a brat, "Surround this little bastard!" He ordered hisckeys, who moved fast to surround Shen Yuan, there were hundreds of them, and the weakest was in the peak Foundation Establishment Realm, and the majority of them were in the Inner Sea realm, while the leader and his vice leader''s were in the Origin Core Creation Realm. Shen Yuan observed their cultivation bases as he felt that he could overpower them all without any issue, even before he was able to fight Peak Inner Sea Realm cultivators, now with his cultivation base boosted and the enhancement of Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art, even calling him hundreds of times stronger than before would be an understatement. Shen Yuan''s eyes shed with a cold light as the bandits surrounded him. He didn''t move to stop them, just standing calmly in his spot. As the hundreds of bandits surrounded him, he felt surprisingly calm, with his high cultivation base, even his confidence surged. The leader sneered looking at how Shen Yuan stood rooted to the ground, "What''s this? The brat is scared shitless! Hahaha, we haven''t even started yet." Shen Yuan didn''t respond and calmly looked at the bandits, he cracked his knuckles, and he smiled calmly which sent shivers down the spine of some of the bandits. "You will wish you had taken my offer." He said softly, his voice carrying a dangerous intent. At that moment, one of the bandits lunged at him from the side, a sword aimed directly at his throat. He moved like lightning, his hand shing out, and caught the sword between two fingers. The bandit''s eyes widened in horror as he saw Shen Yuan catch his sword with only two fingers, unable toprehend how this young brat was this strong. "Too slow," Shen Yuan''s voice softly traveled in the forest, making the bandits feel cold. He flicked his hand back, sending the bandit flying into a tree. The force of the impact broke the tree and sent the bandit crashing through it. He picked up the Sword which the bandits dropped and threw it straight at the struggling bandit who was trying to get up. The sword stabbed his back, impaling him on the ground, he struggled for a while before dying. All the other bandits paused in their steps, feeling the horror of theirrade''s death, they were unsure of how to proceed when the leader screamed, "Charge at him! Do not falter, he will be exhausted soon! Kill him then!" The bandits hesitated no longer and surged towards him. Shen Yuan utilized his movement technique to move like a phantom, he dodged the flurry of attacks. His movements were precise and almostzy as if he was toying with them. Whenever a bandit came close, he would use other bandits as his shield, having them pull back their attacks. He didn''t stop there as he started actively attacking them as well, hitting their joints and making them lose bnce. He wasn''t even fighting properly, he was just toying with them since he was much stronger and faster than them. They continued to surge towards him trying their best to at least hit him, but none were sessful as they felt their fear growing. The bandit leader shouted as he also felt his feet turning cold, "What are you idiots doing!! Attack him! Haah!" He also joined the crowd with a shout, fully disying the cultivation base of an Origin Core Creation Realm cultivator, his vice leaders also joined as they unsheathed their weapons and released their Origin Core Creation Realm cultivation base. Shen Yuan noticed them from afar as he got a bit more serious, even though he felt not a hint of threat from them, he didn''t want to take them lightly as he had never fought with an Origin Core Creation Realm cultivator. He swiped his hand and decapitated tens of bandits, forcing all of them to step back in horror. ''Hmm¡­ This Sword Intent is really useful, I can infuse my qi with my intent to make it even sharper than most swords.'' he thought to himself as he nced through the horrified crowd, finally settling his gaze on the bandit''s leaders. They paused as even though they didn''t want to fight with this monster, the Scar-faced leader spoke in a heavy tone, "Young Man, we should drop this matter. It won''t be good for all of us if we continue fighting." He conceded a little, which only made Shen Yuan chuckle. "Toote, should have backed off when I gave you the chance. Now it''s no longer up to you if you want to leave or not." He raised his hand and made a provocation gesture towards the bandit leaders. He didn''t wait for them to attack first this time. He sprinted towards them, reaching their location before they could react, and punched the scar-faced leader in the guts, sending him flying but not killing him in one blow. He then jumped and kicked two of the three vice leaders on their sides. Sending them flying into the crowd of bandits as well. Thest one stood on the spot, staring at Shen Yuan with wide eyes, he didn''t have much time to react as Shen Yuan pped him in the face and sent him flying. Chapter 99: Finishing Up He sighed internally as he thought, ''Haah, looks like my strength mastery is pretty good, I was able to hold back enough to not kill him in one blow.'' He stood straight, "How weak, you guys can''t even withstand a single blow, and you wanted me to hand over my treasures?" His voice carried disdain as he looked at all the bandits and their leaders. The Scar-faced leader stood up again and grimly looked at Shen Yuan, "Don''t be too arrogant so soon, we haven''t even used our full strength to fight yet." With that, he signaled the vice leaders to gather around him, "Our specialty is the formation which we have learned from an inheritance site, it is called The ck Serpent Formation." He dered, his voice low but filled with pride at his formation. As he finished speaking, the rest of the bandits and vice leaders gathered behind him, making a formation as if a serpent was sleeping. Shen Yuan watched with an amused smile on his face. The Scar-faced leader berated in a cold tone, "This formation is not something a brat like you can understand. It gathers all our strength in a single cultivator, increasing my cultivation to the next level, Extreme Origin Core Realm." He paused as his eyes shed with malice, "You will definitely die from that strike, and even if some of us die due to the recoil of the formation, it doesn''t matter as we can recruit more people." Shen Yuan''s amused smile widened into a grin, "Interesting¡­ So this is the trump card you were hiding? No wonder everyone around this area fears you so much. I''m almost impressed by your ability to get this from an inheritance site." The Scar-faced leader sneered, "You should be honored that you will die from such an advanced technique brat. This formation has killed numerous cultivators at the peak of Origin Core Creation Realm. Now prepare to die!!" Everyone started channeling their qi in a particr motion, sending waves and waves of energy toward the Scar-faced leader, "Yes¡­ Yes! This is it! This power! I will end you in one move, brat!!" Shen Yuan quietly looked at the Scar-faced leader''s increasing cultivation, he felt his heart beating faster, "Finally a worthy challenge, I might be able to see my limit!" He had a wild smile on his face as he finally unsheathed his sword, "Since you want to finish this in one move, then I shall fulfill your wish." He raised the sword above his head as he looked at the charging Scar-faced leader, whose momentum kept rising at an astonishing rate, soon surpassing the limit of Origin Core Creation Realm. "Take this, you little bastard!! Heavenly Serpent Bite!" he shouted out the name of his technique lightly. Shen Yuan also muttered the technique name inside his heart, ''Heaven and Earth Severance: Mountain Cleaving!'' He shed down from above, his sword infused with his Sword Intent BOOM! Cleanly cutting the entire serpent and destroying all the bandits inside it as well. They didn''t even have time to scream before being cut down into little parts. None of them died with an intact corpse, the worst was the leader, whose entire body disintegrated into nothingness. "Haah," Shen Yuan took a deep breath, "Did I underestimate myself, or were those bandits just too weak?" read-more-on-MVLeMpYr Yue Lan, who had disappeared before entering the forest, once again jumped stop his head as she repliedzily, [It''s a little bit of both, you underestimated your strength far too much and even that ugly guy wasn''t that strong, at most his strength was at the Half Step Extreme Origin Core Realm. He overestimated himself, the poor guy didn''t even have time to feel the horror of his mistake.] Shen Yuan took a moment to reflect on himself and took an estimate of his strength again, "Looks like my strength is at least in the Extreme Origin Core Realm, but I can''t estimate my strength against those geniuses from the Sects since I have never fought one, even back in the training forest, they were from the lowest tier sects." Yue Lan yawnedzily, [You would absolutely be superior to the best geniuses, but you might be challenged due to your young age, so you can still find a challenge among your generation if you don''t improve for a while, which seems quite possible seeing that you have to adjust to your body, it might take a few weeks to a few months. You will reach your location at that time.] Shen Yuan''s eyes widened as he asked, "Wait you mean I can''t dual cultivate for weeks or possibly months??" Yue Lan looked at him with a hint of disdain in her eyes, [Look at you, you should be worried about not being able to raise your cultivation base, not thinking about dual cultivation. And no, you can dual cultivate after some time, no need to wait for that long since your body will be stabilized pretty soon.] Shen Yuan didn''t so much as blush at her words and sighed in relief, "Phew, good good, I can''t let them wait for that long. But they haven''t left the seclusion as well, so we will wait and see how it goes." He then looked towards his front where the bandits were standing before. There was nothing now, only arge crater spanning for dozens of km. All the trees and greenery were destroyed in the sword''s path, not even leaving the soil unturned as therge crater was at least 10km deep. And even the bandit''s treasures and storage rings were destroyed in that attack. He shook his head and continued moving forward, "Seems like we will soon reach Green Mountain City, it is just some distance away after leaving this forest. He went on his way towards the city, totally forgetting the caravan which he traveled together with. ¡­ Old Luo was in the lead, traveling with his caravan as he entered the forest, he raised his hand to make them all stop, "Listen carefully, from now on keep a low profile and make as little disturbance as you can make, don''t startle the bandits or we will be in for a tough fight." He cautioned his caravan members, who all took his advice seriously as they had heard about the notorious reputation of the bandits here. One of the head guards spoke in annoyance, "I don''t know how they keep getting away from Peak Origin Core Creation Realm experts, most of them either die there or go missing. If we knew about that secret then we could have taken them down long ago." Old Luo shook his head, "It doesn''t matter for now, we must safely leave this ce." They all agreed and began heading inside the forest slowly, it wasn''tpletely silent like before when Shen Yuan went inside. There were the chirping of birds and the growling of beasts. They found this strange as each time they passed through this forest before, there used to beplete silence as if someone had grabbed the neck of a person. They didn''t mind it much and continued walking further when they finally came face to face with the giant crater which was on the right side of the forest. Everyone stepped down from their carriages or horses as they walked forward and looked at the scene to see the finer details. Chapter 100: Green Mountain Old Luo looked around for a bit, and spoke in a startled tone when they saw a few limbs and weapons lying around, "Is this the ck Viper Gang? These are the weapons used by them, and even the symbols on their hands are from that gang." He hurriedly went forward to verify his guess. He crouched down and picked up a broken sword, he verified that it was indeed the ck Viper Gang after seeing their emblem on the hilt of the sword. Heughed with wild excitement and relief, "Hahaha heavens have eyes! Every dog has its day, these fuckers finally died after killing and looting so many travelers and caravans." The guards and merchants also celebrated with Old Luo, some weeping as the bandits had killed their family members or close friends before. But then begets the question, who was strong enough to wipe out all the bandits? And from the looks of it, everyone was wiped out in one single strike. This became a question that none of them could answer, Old Luo had a guess but even he felt it to be far from likely so he didn''t ponder upon it. ¡­ Shen Yuan left the forest behind as he continued traveling towards the Green Mountain City. He didn''t find any other obstruction inside the forest and even found a traveling merchant, who was traveling in a carriage with a spiritual beast as the mount. It was a good thing the forest wasn''t as long as it was wide, otherwise they would have to travel for a few days just to cross the forest. Even then it took them quite some time as they left the forest when it was nighttime. Shen Yuan also chatted with the merchant, asking about Green Mountain City and the neighboring cities. But he didn''t get much useful information aside from what he already knew from the caravan. One of the two interesting things he found was the location of the ck market. And the other news was about a particr sect that he had been looking about for some time. They continued traveling and chatting until they reached the outskirts of Green Mountain. Shen Yuan stepped down from the carriage and raised his face, looking at the big mountain. "So this is the Green Mountain, where Green Mountain City is located," he spoke aloud looking at the giant mountain, he couldn''t even see the city on top of the mountain. The merchant also looked up and said, "You sure you want to walk up alone? The city is still some distance away from here." Shen Yuan shook his head, "You can go ahead, I want to see some locations on the way." He spoke as he wanted to see the famous wilderness of Green Mountain City, where finding herbs and medicines was as easy as picking up trash from the ground. The merchant nodded politely and left with his carriage towards Green Mountain City. "Yue Lan, open shop and buy the basic Alchemy manual, I want to learn how to pick up herbs." He spoke as he can now but nearly anything from the system after the upgrade. [Ding!] [Congrattions, Host for purchasing the Basic Alchemy Manual for 5,000 Chaos Coins.] Shen Yuan felt someone being imprinted in his sea of consciousness as the information about herb extraction, herb names, herb properties, pill names, etc appeared in his mind. He closed his eyes to analyze all the information, but since there was too much, he only looked at the information on herb extraction and herb names. After some time, he opened his eyes. He was now qualified to learn the Basics of Alchemy. "Haah, I said before that I would rather find wives who know Alchemy and other professions, now it seems even truer than before." He chuckled lightly as he thought about it. Yue Lan appeared on his shoulder andy down, hanging her feet on both the front and back of his shoulder. [But wouldn''t you be pretty bored with nothing to do? I mean, you don''t have to cultivate in seclusion for years and years like others. You will increase your cultivation from Dual Cultivation. So why not pick a few professions to master? You can also be romantic and teach it to your wives.] Yue Lan advised him that she would be entertained as well if Shen Yuan tried to court girls using his different skills such as Alchemy, cksmithing, Formations, etc. Shen Yuan thought about it for a bit, "Hmm¡­I will think about it, let''s go up for now." He decided to think further about itter as it wouldn''t matter for now. He started running ahead on the road to reach a good forested area with a lot of greenery. He passed by many ces while running, it was already night time so the forest was dimly lit with moonlight. However, the darkness wasn''t a problem for Shen Yuan due to his enhanced senses. He continued traveling until he found a good area deeper into the jungle on the mountain. He picked up quite a few herbs along the path but none of them were good enough for him. The herbs he picked up could at most make tier 2 pills, which were nearly useless for him. There were various tiers of pill in the Deste Continent, each tier of pill was effective for 2 major realms of cultivators. Tier 1 was used by Body Forging and Qi refining realm cultivators, tier 2 was used by the Foundation Establishment realm and Inner Sea Realm¡­etc. And since his cultivation was already stronger than Inner Sea Realm cultivators, the Tier 2 pills would be useless for him. exclusive-to-MvLeMpYr Even then he collected the lower tier herbs to trade them in the city. He could get quite a sum of spirit stones from selling them. "Hmm¡­I should look for some higher-level beast territories, most higher-level herbs are protected by beasts." He used his senses to observe the surroundings. "It would be worth the trouble if I can find a Tier 3 Herb here, even Older Tier 3 Herb would be extremely hard to find in this Green Mountain." He muttered to himself as he walked forward while sensing his surroundings. Yue Lan, lying downfortably on his shoulder, warned him, [Be careful of the spiritual beasts, even a Level 7 Origin Core Creation Realm beast will be a lot stronger than the ck Viper Gang. The beasts are usually much more powerful than Humans on the same level.] Shen Yuan chuckled, "I hope they are strong, those lowlifes couldn''t even force me to use one move seriously." Yue Lan gave him a side eye and asked, [Wasn''t that one of your strongest moves?] Shen Yuan coughed, "No need to look at the small details." All of a sudden he detected faint traces of pure spiritual energy. He started running in that particr direction, "Looks like we found our first target." He soon came out of the bushes as he looked straight ahead, there was a small flower growing inside a cluster of nts, emanating a soft glow in the moonlight. There were small patches of grass growing some distance away from it. Chapter 101: White-Tailed Wolf "Nightshade Lily!" Shen Yuan said with a faint glint of excitement in his eyes, "That''s a Young Tier 3 Herb, perfect for making detoxification pills and energy-boosting pills. No wonder I felt such pure spiritual energy emanating from this area." He then looked around, seeing the guardian beast, after all, a Tier 3 Herb can''t grow in the wilderness without the protection of some spiritual beast or something else. He soon felt faint traces of a beast from behind one of the trees, ''Hmm¡­ a beast at the Origin Core Creation Realm, but in the mid-tiers.'' He soon lost interest as the beast was too low level for him, he leisurely moved towards the herb, looking out for the beast to attack him. As soon as he reached 3 meters away from the herb, the beast lunged towards him from behind the tree. Shen Yuan side-stepped to dodge the attack and looked at the beast carefully. It was a White-tailed Wolf, and a young one at that since at full maturity they can reach the Late stages of the Extreme Origin Core Realm. It was ck from front to back except its pure white tail. "I see¡­you were guarding the herb to boost your cultivation base." He moved towards the wolf, who tried to run in circles around Shen Yuan. Trying to find an opportunity to sneak an attack, "Sigh, it''s not fun. You are far too slow to y with me." Shen Yuan stoppedzing around and moved swiftly, pping at the neck of the wolf, and knocking it on the ground. "Grrr¡­" the wolf howled in pain as it couldn''t get up again. Shen Yuan dusted his hand and stood still for a moment. He looked at the wolf with calm eyes for some time, before moving towards the Nightshade Lily and skillfully picking it up. ''Hmm? This is quite easy, I thought it would still be harder after learning it from the Basics Alchemy Manual.'' he thought inwardly as he continued extracting it from the ground. [It''s due to your high cultivation base. If the herb tier was older then you would have to spend a lot more effort to extract it.] Shen Yuan nodded in understanding and soon finished extracting. The wolf stopped struggling andy down on the ground like a dead dog. He came towards the wolf while speaking with Yue Lan, "White-Tailed Wolves are from the family of Lunar Wolves right?" [That is right, Lunar Wolves is a part of the Celestial Wolves, it is a powerful alliance of wolves in a lot of nes and even in higher nes, they have a lot of higher ranking bloodline members. Lunar wolves aren''t even qualified to be a major n though.] Yue Lan answered him swiftly, to which he nodded his head and stared at the wolf. "Let''s try this," he took out a blood-red vial from his inventory, it contained a shimmering liquid inside as if a bloody sky was trapped inside. [What do you want to do with this Bloodline Enchantment Liquid? You can''t possibly be thinking of wasting it on this wolf right?] Yue Lan asked as she didn''t know he was this wasteful. Shen Yuan smiled lightly, "What do you mean wasteful? I have so many such vials that it''s hard to keep count of them. And as I have said before, in this life I shall do whatever I want, no matter if it''s foolish or not." He crouched down and grabbed the mouth of the wolf with one hand, and pried it open. The wolf''s eyes snapped wide open as soon as it smelled the aromaing from the vial. But before it could react, Shen Yuan poured down all the liquid from the vial inside the wolf''s mouth. "Good, with that we are finished here." he stood up and dusted his hands, while the wolf stared at Shen Yuan as if wanting to engrave the appearance of him inside its heart. "Go and look for a hidden ce to cultivate, your cultivation and bloodline will drastically improve when you finish absorbing itpletely." He smiled softly and instructed the wolf, who nodded and disappeared slowly into the night. Shen Yuan smiled looking at the wolf, thinking whether the seed he nted today would sproutter or not. He shook his head and left to look for more locations with beasts. powered-by-MvLeMpYr ¡­ It was nearing morning as Shen Yuan reached the top of the mountain, where the city was located, the road was filled with merchants and caravans, traveling to and from Green Mountain City. Shen Yuan slowly walked forward, looking around to see the atmosphere of the city. He didn''t have to line up in thest city as everyone there saw themnding from his mother''s ship, but it was different this time and he also didn''t want to make too much of a ruckus as that would kill the purpose of training. He lined up behind the people entering the city, listening to their chatter as they talk about random day-to-day things. Since he had nothing to do except for waiting, Shen Yuan began making future ns with Yue Lan. ''I will look around for higher tier Alchemy manuals and other good stuff in the city for a few days since the ones in the system are far too expensive for my broke ass.'' he thought with a wry smile. [Hey! Don''t me me for being broke, even though you earned millions of points while dual cultivating with Yuxin, the majority of them were used up for sealing her Primordial Yin inside of you, that''s why you are still alive, and that''s how only a few dozens of thousands were left.] She quickly defended herself, making it clear that it was all Shen Yuan''s fault for not taking everything into consideration from the start. He shook his head wryly, ''When did I me you? But you also didn''t tell me about it that day, and only yesterday in the morning did you tell me about it and give me my Chaos Coins.'' He said as he looked at his bnce. [Chaos Coins: 39000] ''I will just save them up for an emergency, I can find the manuals by myself.'' Soon, it was his turn to enter the city. He looked at the prices, 3 Silver Coins per person. He took out 3 silver coins from his chest pocket. He traded a few spirit stones for mortal currency from the merchants since he knew he would need coinster. The guards let him inside the city, only admiring his handsome appearance and notmenting about it. He entered from the main gates of the city, In front of himy the vast roads and bustling environment of the city. He continued walking forward while enjoying the merry mood. He saw a lot of people buying and selling herbs around the marketce. He strolled through the marketce, looking at the various vendors and their wares. The one main thing to notice was the absurd amount of aspiring alchemists gathered in the marketce looking for various herbs. In other cities, it would be rare to encounter one as they already had their own servants even if they weren''t yet a tier 1 alchemist as they could make some simple concoction for mortals. Chapter 102: Green Jade Alchemy Pavilion But in Green Mountain City, they were everywhere on the streets, just like dogs walking everywhere. ''It''s quite lively here.'' Shen Yuan mused inwardly, as he traveled through the crowd, ncing around the stalls to see if anything could arouse his interest. But all the herbs were too low tier for him, the vast majority of them were Tier 1 herbs, and a few were at the Tier 2 level but they were much rarer than Tier 1 herbs. He ignored them and casually nced at a vendor in a corner of the marketce. The elderly man was sitting inside his small shop with a straw hat. Looking as if he was bored from selling herbs all day. He wasn''t interested in the herbs there but in the old man himself as he could sense that his cultivation base was a lot higher than others. He had even hidden his cultivation base and was only releasing the Inner Sea Realm aura. [Shen Yuan, did you notice that old man? His cultivation base is a lot higher than he lets out.] Shen Yuan smirked lightly, ''Of course I noticed it, but he is just another cultivator, I can''t really go to each bored old man who decided to hide their cultivation base and pretend to be mysteriously in front of juniors right?'' He paused as he looked at the bigger buildings further in the city, ''Let''s see if I can trade my half-assed Alchemy knowledge for something.'' Yue Lan gave him a disdainful nce as she spoke, [The Basic Alchemy Manual is a priceless treasure for the people here, not because of its high grade but because of how much knowledge it has. The Alchemist here only knows about the herbs they grow here or around this area or almost this Aurora Zone. But that manual covers all mortal herbs and basic knowledge about Tier 1 and Tier 2.] Shen Yuan raised his eyebrow in confusion, ''Wasn''t the number of herbs too low then? Ah, is it because my Sea of Consciousness won''t be able to handle that much information so you cut it into parts? And don''t say I will have to pay to get those parts as well.'' Yue Lan''s bell-likeughter sounded in his mind, as she spoke, [Then what do you think? That you can get the whole Basic Alchemy Manual for only 5000 Chaos Coins? It only consists of this area''s herbs.] Shen Yuan felt like he got scanned by this ck-hearted merchant as he asked in an annoyed tone, ''How big of an area are you talking about?'' [You will have to find that out yourself.] Shen Yuan ignored her and continued walking deeper into the city where prestigious shops were established. reading-here-on-MVLeMpYr At this ce, instead of only herbs, pills started showing up, but they were all sealed inside bottles or formations to keep the effectiveness of the pills at their peak. There were also protective formations set up to prevent the unworthy ones from touching them. He could feel the difference in the atmosphere of this cepared to the area filled with street vendors. He was about to approach an establishment when he heard a heated discussion from some distance away. Two cultivators were arguing about the price of a Tier 1 pill, one of them, a skinny young man with shady eyes, argued loudly, "500 tinum coins for a single Mid Grade Tier 1 Pill?? This is daylight robbery! At most, I will give you 300." The other cultivator, a well-built man with long hair, snorted, "Hmph! Then you can go and buy from somewhere else. With the shortage of high-quality herbs this season, the prices have spiked of these Healing Pills. Everyone who goes out to hunt needs them. I''m not running a charity here brat." Shen Yuan shook his head as he listened to their banter, ''It seems I underestimated the profession of Alchemist, even in such a ce filled with them, even a tier 1 pill can cause a stir. Or the market is in low supply of it.'' He moved past them, continuing on his way to the first establishment he had seen before. It was arge building with intricate carvings of cauldron and fire in front of arge green mountain. The signboard read, ''Wee to Green Jade Alchemy Pavilion.'' ''This ce seems quite high ss.'' He thought as he made up his mind and entered the building. The interior was much more peaceful than the bustling marketce. The shop was decorated simply with rows and rows of pill bottles showcased inside formations. Each bottle wasbeled with its name and its effects. There was a counter at the end of the shop where a young woman in blue robes stood, attending to a customer. Shen Yuan casually wandered around the store, looking at the various pills as he had a lot of different types of pills from the quests he had done before. ''Ah, Yue Lan, now that I think about it, why are there no quests currently?'' he asked curiously as he hadn''t gotten any quest for quite some time now. [You were getting quests before subconsciously by me since I wasn''t awake. Now I can give you a quest actively.] As soon as she finished speaking, a quest window popped up in front of Shen Yuan. [Ding!] [New Quest: Settle the past karma.] [Quest Details: Go look for your old friend''s sect to give his belongings to his family and tell them about his unfortunate demise.] [Rewards: One Heavenly Bloodline] Shen Yuan read the quest description with a sad look on his face. "It''s about time I settle this Karma." He muttered softly to himself. [Yes, karmic ties are important, Shen Yuan, you need to resolve all your mortal karma so it won''t form a Heart Demon.] She warned him about the possible dangers of karmic ties, making him nod his head heavily. "Do not worry Yue Lan, I won''t forget my karma, I already asked about his sect. It is some distance away from Green Mountain." He paused as he made up his mind, "I will travel there in a couple of days." Yue Lan didn''t say anything else and let him explore the shop. He soon came to the counter where the young woman in alchemist robes was standing. "Hello, did you find anything to your liking, Sir?" She politely asked, looking at his noble demeanor. Shen Yuan smiled politely, "Can I sell my herbs here?" The young woman paused, thinking for a moment, "We only buy herbs in bulk or if it''s a high-ranking herb, Sir. If you still want to sell your herbs then you can bring them out. I will appraise them and give you an appropriate value." "Yes, of course I want to sell them, here," he waved his hand and dropped a massive amount of herbs on the counter. The young woman''s eyes slightly widened in surprise seeing the amount of herbs that the young man was selling, but soon she smiled happily and started appraising them. The young woman carefully inspected each herb, her hands moving with such speed that Shen Yuan was doubting if she was even checking them properly. Chapter 103: Buying Recipes She picked up each herb to determine its age, potency, and quality. As she continued, her expression remained professional but Shen Yuan could see a hint of excitement hidden in her eyes. After all, even if the herbs were of the lowest tier, they were well preserved due to Shen Yuan''s excellent extracting skills. After a while, she stood up straight, brushed her hands, and looked up at Shen Yuan. "These herbs are of excellent quality, and there are even peak tier 2 herbs," she began, her tone bing more respectful, she took a deep breath as she offered, "Most of them are tier 1, and quite a few tier 2, and some of them are of exceptional quality. For the bulk and quality, I can give you 10,000 Gold coins for the tier 1 herbs and 500 Low level Spirit Stones for the Tier 2 herbs." Shen Yuan nodded thoughtfully, "That''s a fair offer," he said with a slight smile on his face, he already had a rough estimate of the herbs prices from listing to the vendors outside so this didn''t surprise him. "I''ll ept it." He said as he handed over the herbs to her. The young woman''s hands moved faster than lighting as she gave him the coins and spirit stones. Shen Yuan smiled lightly and threw all of it inside his storage ring. After finishing the transaction, she nced at him and curiously asked, "Are you perhaps an alchemist, Sir?" Shen Yuan chuckled lightly, "Not quite at that level, though I have indeed dabbled in it here and there. But I''m more interested in exploring different paths of cultivation." He didn''t want to reveal much about himself, but he knew how much a jack of all trades is valued in the cultivation world. That''s why he mentioned it in passing, hoping he might get something interesting. The young woman''s eyes sparkled in surprise, "I see. Well, if you need anything rted to alchemy,ingredients, pills, recipes, etc. Green Jade Alchemy Pavilion has the finest collection of them in the city." Shen Yuan thought for a moment, "I was looking for some alchemy manuals to buy, but I haven''t seen any in the pavilion." thank-you-for-using-MvLeMpYr The young woman smiled lightly, "We don''t have it on disy for regr guests, you cane to the back of the pavilion with me if you would like to take a look at them." Shen Yuan nodded his head and gestured for her to lead the way. She smiled politely and began leading the way. Shen Yuan followed her deeper into the pavilion, noticing the increasing quality of protective formations around the pills and herbs all over the ce. They soon reached a sturdy hall, a serene room lined with bookshelves. Shen Yuan nced around, spotting a variety of manuals and scrolls rted to alchemy, each marked with titles like, "Basic Herbology" to "Master Grade Crafting Techniques" [You should pick something useful for your current cultivation stage. If you don''t have any alchemy techniques or recipes, you should first look for those. Either way, the pills you would refine now won''t be of much use to you. You would need Peak Tier 3 pills or Tier 4 Pills to have an effect on you.] She advised him calmly, looking at his situation. [You should start from tier 1 and build your foundation.] Shen Yuan nodded internally, ''You are right, with my current mastery, forget about making a tier 3 or tier 4 pill, it would be surprising if I could make a tier 1 pill.'' [No need to degrade yourself, you have never touched a cauldron in your life, and you are already ahead of everyone with the confidence to make tier 1 pills so soon.] Shen Yuan smiled lightly as he walked towards a shelf where pill refinement techniques were stored. He looked around for a bit until one technique caught his eye, "Spirit me Pill Refinement Technique" he read aloud. It was a manual focused on refining a pill with spirit mes, the technique had no specialty as it was the most basic of the basic techniques. He picked it up and looked at the young woman, "I will take this." She looked at him in confusion, since it was the cheapest technique she thought he might be low on budget. "I shall pack it up for you, Sir." she still remained professional and smiled politely at him. Shen Yuan looked at her attitude and nodded in approval, "I also want to buy recipes for pills." The young woman nodded and led him towards a different section of the hall where a variety of recipes were ced. They were arranged in order from Low-Grade Tier 1 to Mid-Grade Tier 3. "We have a wide range of recipes here, sir. Most of our tier 1 and tier 2 recipes are fairly standard but there are a few rarer ones of a higher tier, but their prices are also very steep. Do you have any specific recipe in mind?" Shen Yuan looked at the recipes, there weren''t many, only around 60 Tier 1 recipes and 20 Tier 2 recipes of various grades. He thought for a moment, ''The recipes would always be useful, and it''s not like I''m short on spirit stones.'' With that decided he looked at the young woman, "What are the prices of these recipes?" The young woman professionally replied, "Each tier has different prices, Low Grade Tier 1 recipes are priced at 10 Low Grade Spirit Stones, Mid Grade Tier 1 is 50 Spirit Stones, High Grade Tier 1 recipes are 100 Spirit Stones, and Peak Grade Tier 1 recipes go for 200 Spirit Stones. As for the Tier 2 recipes, the prices increase significantly: Low Grade Tier 2 costs 1,000 Spirit Stones, Mid Grade is 2,000 Spirit Stones, High Grade is 4,000 Spirit Stones, and Peak Grade is 8,000 Spirit Stones." Shen Yuan mused inwardly, ''The prices are quite reasonable even if they seem outrageous at first, with the potential earning from selling the pills hmm¡­this business is quite lucrative. He looked at thebels of the recipes, which wrote their names and exined the effects. There was a wide variety of them, energy-restoring pill recipes, detoxification pill recipes, healing pill recipes, Qi Boosting pill recipes, etc. Finally, after looking at all of them, he turned back towards the young woman, smiling slightly, "I would like to buy all of them!" The young woman doubted her ears for a second as she asked in a confused tone, "Can you repeat that, Sir? I think I heard incorrectly." Shen Yuan raised his eyebrow in amusement as he replied smilingly, "You heard correctly, I would like to buy all the recipes." The young woman''s eyes widened in disbelief as she asked in a stutteringvoice, "A-are y-you sure, sir? It would cost you a lot to buy all of them." Shen Yuan nodded his head, "Every single recipe from tier 1 to tier 2." The young woman calmed down as she was also a professional in this field, she hurriedly bowed, "Ah excuse me for my carelessness, I will have everything prepared for you shortly. The total amount wille to 146,600 spirit stones." Chapter 104: Alchemy Shen Yuan epted the price as he had already calcted it, he retrieved arge pouch of spirit stones from his storage ring, and tossed them towards her, "Here, count them." The young woman hurriedly caught them, she quickly verified the amount of coins in them. Soon she raised her head in confusion, "Sir, the amount is excessive, there are a total of 150,000 Spirit Stones, and you gave 4,400 extra." Shen Yuan smiled lightly, "You can take them as your tip, I liked your attitude." The young woman didn''t refuse it and put away the pouch with a smile. "I will bring your recipes shortly, sir. Please wait a bit." Within moments, She returned with a storage ring filled with recipes. Shen Yuan scanned the storage ring and nodded after checking all the contents inside of it. "Thank you for your help, Sir. I can now return home to settle some matters." At the end, her voice held a hint of sadness as she mentioned home. Shen Yuan looked at her for a bit, "Don''t mind it, I just gave you the spirit stones because I liked your attitude. You deserved them. Will you close this pavilion now that you are leaving?" The young woman shook her head, "You misunderstood sir, I am not the owner here. I''m here all alone because it is my shift now, after some time Sister Bai wille to take over. I will just inform the store owner before leaving for my home." Shen Yuan and the young woman were already near the entrance by now after walking for a while. Shen Yuan looked at her and spoke with a gentle tone, "I hope whatever you are going to do will go well." The young woman nodded her head heavily, as if a great duty was on her shoulder as she looked him in the eyes and said, "Thank you for your well wishes, Sir. My name is Han Qingyu, it was a pleasure meeting with you." Shen Yuan nodded his head and replied in the same gentle tone, "My name is Shen Yuan, let''s meet again if fate wills it." With that, he left the pavilion. ¡­ After leaving the pavilion, Shen Yuan made his way through the bustling streets of Green Mountain City. Yue Lan spoke to him, "That woman had a dormant physique, she is quite a genius but with the resources in her possession, she might never awaken her Physique.] Shen Yuan paused slightly, but soon continued walking forward, ''Everyone has their destiny, let it be for now. If we cross paths again then I will help her.'' Yue Lan dropped the topic and he continued to look around for a bit more but after not finding anything worthwhile he left to look for amodation. ''Time to put these herbs to use.'' he thought inwardly. After all, he had bought all these recipes for a reason, to make his alchemy foundation more solid. He nced around, looking for a quiet ce to practice alchemy. After some searching, he found a high-ss establishment named ''Verdant me Alchemy Hall''. It was a well-known building in the city as alchemists came to practice their alchemy here due to their top-tier facilities. He entered the hall and was greeted by an elderly man sitting behind the counter. There was a thick smell of herbs roaming around the old man, making it obvious that he was an alchemist or at least someone who refined herbs quite frequently. The elderly man looked at him once and ignored him, continuing to lie down behind the counter in his chairfortably. Shen Yuan didn''t mind it as everyone has a different personality. He went up to him and asked, "Can I rent an alchemy room here?" The old man looked at him from the side of his eyes, saying in disdain, "Well, no shit, this ce was built so people can rent alchemy rooms here." "..." Shen Yuan felt like pping the face of the old man, he took a deep breath, "What are the prices?" The old man raised his hand and pointed towards a chart hanging on the side wall, "The prices are hanging there." Shen Yuan raised his head and looked at the prices. ''Tier 1 Room- 1 Hour- 10 Spirit Stones MVLEmPyR-your-story-source 2 Hours- 20 Spirit Stones ¡­ 10 Hours- 100 Spirit Stones Tier 2 Room- 1 Hour- 30 Spirit Stones 2 Hours- 60 Spirit Stones ¡­ 10 Hours- 300 Spirit Stones Tier 3 Room- 1 Hour- 50 Spirit Stones 2 Hour- 100 Spirit Stones ¡­ 10 Hours- 500 Spirit Stones Shen Yuan looked at the prices for different tiers and asked the elderly man, "What is the difference between each tier?" "Better cauldron, better room, and more Qi." The answer was precise as if he was afraid he would run out of words. Shen Yuan had enough of him as he directly asked, "Give me the best room for a hundred hours." He said and took out a pouch filled with exactly 5000 Spirit Stones, not a single stone extra. The elderly man slightly opened his eyes and counted the money from the counter. He waved his hand stored the money inside and threw a gold-ted token towards Shen Yuan. "Here, you can use this token to ess the 3rd Tier room of our establishment in any other cities that have our branch." Shen Yuan epted the token and looked at it for a bit before moving deeper into the hall and ascending the stairs to the top floor. The elderly man looked at Shen Yuan''s leaving back for a bit before closing his eyes and sleeping again. ¡­ Shen Yuan soon reached the top floor and used the token to enter one of the empty rooms. Just as he entered the room, he felt the change in the quality of the qi as it was filled to the brim with qi. He took a deep breath as he walked inside, "Cultivating in such a ce would be multiple times faster than the outside world." The room was simply decorated with a bed in the corner and a furnace in the middle, formations were etched all over the walls to gather qi inside the room. Shen Yuan went to the middle of the room and sat down cross-legged in front of the cauldron. He took out one of the Low-Grade Tier 1 recipes from his storage ring. He started analyzing it, and after some time he ced it back, "Phew¡­ from here will the hard work begin." He started taking out the herbs necessary for the pill. cing them in order. After he finished putting all the herbs in order, he began processing them one by one. Grinding some herbs into fine powder, or soaking others into some special liquid, and preparing the rest ording to the instructions. It took some time as this was his first time doing it. But he soon finished the process as he now sat in front of the cauldron with all the herbs at one side. "Phew, the time to try my hand at it hase," he said as he was about to start the refining process. Just then Yue Lan''s amusing voice sounded from the top of the cauldron, she sat there leisurely, looking at him [How are you going to ignite Alchemy Fire?] Chapter 105: Slave Market Shen Yuan thought for a moment, then abruptly raised his head, "Wait! You need a specific alchemy fire to practice alchemy?" Yue Lan giggled softly, [Of course, you need special talent for alchemy, otherwise, all the cities would be filled with alchemists looking at how much they earn from alchemy.] "..." He stared silently at her, making her turn her head to the side, "Why didn''t you mention this sooner?" [It doesn''t matter, you can buy the Low-Tier Minor Grade Alchemy Talent for only 9,999 Chaos Coins! It''s a really rare talent to have.] Yue Lan spoke enthusiastically to him, trying to sell him the talent. He shook his head, "Why would I need to buy it from you?" Shen Yuan picked up all the materials and stored them in the inventory. "Buy a basic appearance-changing technique." [Ding!] [Congrattions Host for buying Illusory transformation skill!] [Illusory Transformation Skill: Helps to change the user''s appearance and aura.] He stood up after buying the technique, "I will use it after leaving the hall." Yue Lan nodded her head and jumped on his head, but he ignored her and started heading towards the exit of the room. The old man looked at him but didn''t say anything. Yue Lany down on his headzily and asked, [Where are you heading?] "ck Market." He answered her shortly. "Hmm? Why are you going there?" She asked him curiously. "You will find out when we get there." He smiled mysteriously and began walking through numerous streets, going from one to another. At one corner he changed his appearance and aura, looking like amon man who you would lose in a crowd. ¡­ After walking for some time he finally reached the ck Market. It was situated at the outskirts of the city. The basic setup of the ck Market was the same as the main market in front of the city gates. But the atmosphere was different. It was darker and gloomy as if anyone could swindle you here. He didn''t stop to look at the wares as most of the goods here were either looted from merchants or stolen from Sects or ns. He soon came in front of another section of the market, and the stench of fear intensified as he read the words written on a signboard, "ve Market" Yue Lan looked inside the gloomy market where rows of cages were lined up, [Do you want some ve beauties now, Shen Yuan?] Yue Lan''s amused voice sounded from atop his head. Making Shen Yuan shook his head as he didn''t reply and entered the market. He looked through the cages one by one, there were a lot of different races of ves caged inside. Both male and female. The difference was that, males were covered in mud and appeared beaten, while females were kept clean, as if to better disy their appearance. But the one thing inmon among all of them was the desperation in their eyes. He ignored all of them and came in front of arge open area, where a fat auctioneer was loudly presenting his goods. "Step right up, folks! Rare specimen, from all around the corner of this world! All for you to bid and take home to make them work for you or to warm your bed!" Shen Yuan looked at the ves chained together, the difference between them and others was that except for a few women, most of them were emanating the aroma of herbs. Yue Lan asked him curiously, [Are you looking for an alchemist as a ve to do your work instead?] ''You will find out soon enough.'' he smirked slightly and went towards the auctioneer. The auctioneer smiled politely and came towards Shen Yuan, "Ah dear guest, is there anything that you would like to get from my humble store." He remained polite even though Shen Yuan''smon appearance, ''A professional in his business I see.'' Shen Yuan thought while looking at him. "Is there any vile alchemist that you have for sale? Those who have done inhumane crimes before?" he asked in a light tone. The fat auctioneer''s eyes lit up slightly as he smelled a fat deal ahead. "Aha! You havee to the perfect ce, dear guest!" He pped his thighs and eximed. "Please, follow me, dear guest." He said and began leading Shen Yuan toward the area where the vile alchemists were caged. "You can select whichever you want from them, their information is written on the cages." He made an inviting gesture towards Shen Yuan. Who nodded his head and started looking at different ves. There were dozens of them here, mostly ranging from Low Tier 1 Alchemy Novice to Tier 2 Alchemy Apprentice. He looked at all of their details, even their crimes were written on thebels outside their cages. (Killed an entire vige by poisoning the water.) (Exterminated a n because of a disagreement.) (Forced himself upon traveling merchant women.) ¡­ Each was more vile than the other, Shen Yuan felt an urge to kill all of them on the spot, but Yue Lan patted the top of his head lightly to calm him down as she said, [You should get used to it, there are a lot of such people on the higher nes as well.] Shen Yuan took a deep breath and calmed down. He reached the deepest corner of the area where a single cage was ced, inside was a shriveled old man lying down. Shen Yuan looked at thebel to look for his crime since he could feel that he was the strongest and also the one with the best talent among all of the ves. (Refined the Primordial Yin of 99 Maidens trying to create an Immortal Pill.) Shen Yuan frowned upon seeing his deeds, but he didn''t think further about that as he couldn''t change the past. "Tell me about him," he said to the fat auctioneer, who was following him from behind. "Ah yes, he is a vile alchemist-" Just as he started speaking to build suspense, Shen Yuan interrupted him. "I already read what he did, tell me about his rank and his price." He said coldly, his mood was ruined looking at all the vile alchemists gathered here. The fat auctioneer rubbed the back of his head and smiled apologetically, "Yes, yes the rank and price. He was a Tier 3 Master Alchemist in his prime. And his price is set at 50,000 Spirit Stones due to him being a cripple, but his alchemy knowledge is still very useful." Shen Yuan didn''t bullshit with him as he can see the price was reasonable. The price was low currently due to him being a cripple. He took out a pouch from his storage ring and gave it to the auctioneer. Who counted then swiftly and smiled delightfully, "It was a pleasure doing business with you, Sir" He changed the way he addressed Shen Yuan from dear guest to sir. A clear sign of him acknowledging him due to his wealth. Shen Yuan didn''t say anything, the fat auctioneer also opened the cage soon, letting the alchemist out of it. But the alchemist didn''t rejoice as he looked at Shen Yuan with eyes filled with anger and fear. "Is there any private room here? I want to talk with him." Shen Yuan said to the auctioneer. Chapter 106: Vile Alchemist The auctioneer happily said, "Of course, we have private rooms here sir, we offer various services to not onl-" "How much will it be?" He coldly spoke, not being friendly at all. "It will be 1 Spirit Stone per hour, you can go to the building behind you and can take a private room." He pointed behind Shen Yuan and spoke. Shen Yuan nodded and tossed him a Spirit Stone, heading inside the building and entering one of the rooms. Throughout the way the alchemist didn''t say anything and neither did Shen Yuan say anything. After entering the room, Shen Yuan stood straight and looked at the alchemist with cold eyes, making him shudder. "Wh-why- what do you want from me!?" He asked in a shivering voice looking at Shen Yuan''s cold gaze. "How do you feel killing all of your victims?" He answered with a question instead, looking straight at him. The alchemist''s expression lit up with joy at the mention of his victims, "Ah those were the truly good times, going anywhere and doing whatever I wanted. I was treated like a king due to my status as an Alchemy Master," he paused for a bit, remembering about the old times as he continued speaking in a gate filled voice, "But those bastards came and caught me one day, fucking hypocrites raising the banner of justice when they are nothing better than me.." He continued bbering, Shen Yuan had enough as he raised his hand, "Are you now happy remembering those old times? Now you can die happily." The vile alchemist''s eyes widened as he shouted, "Wait! I can help you in alchemy or even tell you the forbidden form I found to make an immortal pil-" His voice was cut short as Shen Yuan thrust his hand through his chest, grabbing his heart and ripping it out. "You can take the recipe together with you to hell." Shen Yuan spoke coldly to him. All the alchemist could do was stare at Shen Yuan in anger and hatred, "I will fucking kil-" his voice was cut short as he dropped down dead on the ground. The heart in his hand turned into thick red liquid and seeped into his skin, he could feel something changing inside of him as the system''s prompt sounded. [Ding!] [Unknown Bloodline has initiated the absorption of Low-Grade Minor Talent Alchemy Talent.] [Ding!] [Due to the effects of Purity Physique, the Tier of Low-Grade Minor Alchemy Talent has been upgraded to Mid Grade Minor Talent.] [Ding!] [Due to the effects of False Chaos Physique, the Tier of Low-Grade Minor Alchemy Talent has been upgraded to High-Grade Minor Talent.] Shen Yuan closed his eyes to feel the alchemy fire burning brightly inside of his dantian. Meanwhile, Yue Lan was still looking at him in amazement as she spoke, [I didn''t know you would get used to your bloodline so soon, you used it perfectly.] Shen Yuan nodded his head as he finally broke into a slight smile after feeling the wonderful effect of the Alchemy Talent. "See? Isn''t this much better than spending 10,000 Chaos Coins in the system store to get merely a Low-Grade Minor Tier Talent for alchemy?" He thought about the shady prices of the system and thought that this was a much better way to get talent. [Hey! It was 9,999 Chaos Coins, get that correct first. And second, do you think anyone in the world can extract the Talent or Physiques of others? My prices are already very fair. You can''t find the things I sell in my store in the outside world even if you sell a whole mortal ne.] Yue Lan quickly defended herself and exined the reason for the price. Shen Yuan shook his head lightly and changed the topic, "Anyways, I didn''t know that my physiques could change the tier of my talent. Will they change the tier of all talents? Because I remember it didn''t happen before." He asked curiously as he wanted to know more about his physiques and how he could use them better. Yue Lan replied lightly, [Not all talents can be upgraded, the Alchemy Talent is special, and only a few more can be upgraded like this. So you better collect them all. They will be helpfulter.] Shen Yuan nodded in understanding as he looked at the corpse onest time before he left the room, heading outside. The fat auctioneer saw him leaving but didn''t question him what happened to the ve or anything, after he left he went inside to see what happened. He shook his head looking at the dead body, "Aiya, what a waste. Looks like the sir had some grudge with this alchemist, maybe he killed someone precious to him." He shook his and ordered one of the workers to clean up the room and head back outside to sell his goods. ¡­ Shen Yuan returned back to the room inside the ''Verdant me Alchemy Hall''. He didn''t start alchemy immediately, instead, he went to the bed andy down. "It''s been a long day, might as well sleep and practice alchemy from tomorrow morning," he said to Yue Lan who jumped down from his head when hey down. She said, [Yep, rest is necessary at your current level, after you reach Origin Core Formation Realm, you won''t even need to sleep. You can just absorb Qi and won''t have any further problems.] Shen Yuan and Yue Lan continued talking for some time until he fell asleep. ¡­ Shen Yuan woke up early in the morning, feeling refreshed from all the fatigue of yesterday. Even his spirits were lifted which he felt were down since the ve market incident. He stood up from the bed came in front of the cauldron and sat down. [Going to start practicing alchemy first thing in the morning?] She asked him as he was bringing out the herbs. He said as he neatly arranged all the herbs, "It''s as good a time as any to start, I will practice for a few days first." He raised his hand and ignited the alchemy fire, he brought it close to the furnace to heat it up. brought-to-you-by-MvLeMpYr After he finished heating up the furnace, he started putting the herbs inside in a particr order. Extracting their essence and mixing them up. Time continued to pass as he continued refining the herbs. Soon he felt the time was right as he used more Qi to quickly finish the process. As he opened the cauldron to look at the results, all he saw were ck ashes at the bottom of the cauldron. He shook his head looking at his results. [You shouldn''t be hasty, Shen Yuan. You need to have patience if you want to learn Alchemy.] "Alright, I will try again." he took a deep breath as he began processing the herbs again. The second attempt was a failure as well due to him being far too cautious and overburning the essence of the herbs. The third attempt failed because he lost control of his alchemy fire for a second. ¡­ He was on his 7th attempt as he carefully prepared all the ingredients and started the process again. Chapter 107: Refining Pills After refining all the herbs and extracting their essence, he began merging them slowly but confidently. After all, even though he hadn''t been sessful in previous attempts, they were valuable for his experience. When he felt like the pills were ready, he took a deep breath, finished refining the pills, and opened the cauldron to look inside. There were 3 pills sitting inside the cauldron. Shen Yuan excitedly took them out, looking at them as if they were some treasure. [Not bad, you were able to take some Low-Grade Tier 1 Flesh Fortification Pills on your first day. Most alchemists can''t do this even with your level of talent.] She praised him genuinely, making Shen Yuan smile happily. "Of course, you haven''t seen someone as talented as me. You think it''s easy to encounter someone of my level?" Yue Lan smiled lightly as she continued, [But I have seen little kids creating Immortal Pills, sopared to them you are nothing impressive.] She spoke aloud as she had to bring Shen Yuan down from his high pedestal else someone would knock him down. Shen Yuan didn''t mind it one bit as he smiled happily, "It doesn''t matter, they have absurd talents from birth. I can just kill some vile bastards on the higher ne to absorb their talent or physique." Yue Lan shook her head as if what he said was correct. Those who shepared him with were indeed far higher in talent than him. As they continued their banter, Shen Yuan put the pills away and continued practicing. ¡­ Soon, four days passed, and Shen Yuan was now able to make High-Grade Tier 1 Pills. However, their quality was still poor, as even the Mid-Grade pills he refined only reached a purity level of 70%. [Congrattions, Shen Yuan. You are now a High-Grade Alchemy Novice from the standard of this world.] Yue Lan''s voice sounded in his mind as she had dispersed her Cat avatar already so as to not disturb him. Shen Yuan nodded and changed the subject, "Enough time has been wasted here. I still need to visit Saber Mountain Sect before heading towards Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect to join it." He talked about his next ns and left the alchemy room to head outside. The elderly man looked at Shen Yuan andmented in a light tone, "You are finally out, I was about to send someone to see if you had died inside or something." Shen Yuan ignored thement and said with a light chuckle, "I will visit again sometime, stay alive and don''t kick the bucket before that." The elderly man raised his hand to shoo him away and said, "Go away, You Brat! Even if everyone in this city dies, I would still be alive and kicking." Shen Yuan lightly shook his head and went outside of the hall. The warm rays of the sun hit his face and he feltfortable basking in it. He looked at the bustle of the city as he continued to walk through it. After a while, Yue Lan''s voice echoed inside his head, [Saber Mountain Sect, huh? Why not take a detour and explore the nearby regions as well? It can be a good experience for you or you might even find something interesting.] Shen Yuan shook his head, his eyes revealing calmness as he spoke, "I have dyed it for long enough, it''s about time I go and confront them. And I''m on a tight schedule as well, I need to ensure everything is in ce before heading for Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect." story-source-NovelFire [Oh, so it''s about that. It''s good to end the karmic ties before they start to bore down on you.] Soon he reached the city gates, and he nced onest time behind him to see the city. Remembering all the things he had done before leaving. ¡­ After a few days of journeying through some cities and viges, Shen Yuan reached the gates of Mountain de City. He looked at the majestic appearance of the city gates, which were decorated with different designs of sabers. He entered the city together with other travelers or cultivators who wished to join the Saber Mountain Sect. Mountain de City was situated on the outskirts of the Saber Mountain Sect. It was built by those who either couldn''t join the sect or the family members of the Saber Mountain Sect Disciples. He looked inside and saw a different atmosphere from all the cities he explored till now. Here, most of the cultivators carried sabers on their backs. Even mortals carried sabers, aspiring to be Saber Cultivators. Shen Yuan explored for a bit until he found an inn to eat some food and gather information. He entered and saw the bustling atmosphere. Everyone was talking,ughing, or sharing information with one another. He went to sit on one of the empty tables and ordered some food with beer when the waiter came to take his order. As he waited for his order to arrive he listened to the chatting from around him. Hearing various news, they talked about the uingpetition among the youths of some association. And another is the recent news about the training session conducted by Saber Mountain Sect where a lot of disciples died. One particr individual said to hispanions, "Aiye, it''s unfortunate that the Young Master of the Han n died in that training session." Hispanion agreed with him and continued, "He was cultivating diligently ever since his mother and father died due to the attack on his n. He was training so harshly to avenge his parents." Another one of thepanions added, "Now, only his Junior Sister is left who had to do Sect''s missions just to collect enough funds to give her brother a proper funeral." The first individual spoke again, "Sigh, all of the family members turned their back on her since they thought that she wouldn''t amount to much in the future." Shen Yuan listened to everything intently, and after making some guesses, he stood up and headed toward their table. "Excuse me, are you guys talking about Han Ming of Saber Mountain Sect?" he said as he came and stood in front of their table. The 3 people looked up at him, one of them who was a bearded middle-aged man who started the discussion asked, "Why would we tell you?" "Hahahaha" All three of them burst intoughter together. Shen Yuan figured they were already drunk. He mmed his palm on the table and ced a pouch filled with Spirit Stones, "It will be my treat, now would you mind sharing the details?" The three brothers looked at each other, they epted the Spirit Stones and said with a ttering smile, "Ah Yes, of course, Sir. We will tell you everything you want to know." Shen Yuan nodded his head and sat down, the waiter also brought his food to him on the other table. Shen Yuan ate the food and chatted with the three of them, asking about the details of Mountain de City and Han n. ¡­ Shen Yuan left the restaurant after getting his fill and knowing everything he wanted to know. He headed back into the market. Chapter 108: Han Clan "Is it a coincidence or not?" he spoke to himself as he walked through the busy road. He didn''t stop moving forward as his destination had changed from Saber Mountain Sect to Han n of Mountain de City. He had more or less figured out the situation of Han Ming''s n. Han Ming''s parents had died early in his life during a n war. To avenge them, Han Ming joined the Saber Mountain Sect. That''s how he was able to survive and keep his position as Young Master of the Han n. His sister also joined the Saber Mountain Sect as an outer disciple due to him. But because of her limited talent, she wasn''t able to progress further than outer sect disciples. Shen Yuan also learned about the cultivation bases of the Han n elders and the current n Leader, who stabilized his position by breaking through to the Extreme Origin Core Realm recently. He soon reached the n Estate. It still stood tall with majesty even after the death of the Former n Master. Shen Yuan walked towards the gate where two guards stood, they eyed him warily. One of the guards stepped forward and spoke, "Halt!" The guard eyed Shen Yuan and noticed how he looked to be from a prestigious n. He softened his tone as he continued saying, "Han n is not currently epting visitors, if you have an invitation then you cane inside." Shen Yuan nodded in understanding as he knew why they weren''t receiving guests, "I don''t have an invitation," he began, and before the guard could say anything he quickly said, "But I have something which was entrusted to me to be delivered to the Han n." The guards looked at each other, perplexed as they considered whether to let him in or not. Shen Yuan noticed their hesitation and spoke again, "I was entrusted by Han Ming to deliver his storage ring to his n before his death." The guards'' eyes flew wide open as they heard what he said. One of the guards hurriedly nodded to the other one and went inside. "Pleasee inside, young master. Our n Elders will attend to you shortly." The other guard who was left behind said as he led Shen Yuan inside. Yue Lan''s voice echoed in his mind, [Why are you so polite with them? You have already heard how they treated Han Ming and her sister.] ''I will ask about the situation from his sister first, then I will decide my next course of action. I can''t just believe what everyone is saying without confirming it. That''s why I''m being polite.'' Soon they reached the guest room where an elder of the Han n was waiting. He was a middle-aged man with a fit body, his presence filled with an air of authority as he gazed at Shen Yuan. But Shen Yuan could sense a faint hint of malice hidden in the elder''s gaze. Shen Yuan shook his head internally and went towards the elder. Elder Han stood up from his chair and greeted Shen Yuan. "Greetings, Young Man," he began, his voice polite and friendly. "I heard from one of the guards that you have something that belongs to Han Ming and wish to return it to us." Shen Yuan nodded his head but didn''t immediately bring out the storage ring, he changed the topic and said, "I heard about what happened to Han Ming''s parents in my way, it was truly unfortunate." Elder Han also didn''t pursue the matter before calmly talking with Shen Yuan, "It was unfortunate indeed for our n. We never expected that they would die in those n wars." He sighed heavily as if he couldn''t withstand the weight of what happened to the former n leader. They continued chatting for some time when Shen Yuan suddenly asked, "I haven''t seen Han Ming''s younger sister yet, can you tell me where I can find her? I want to give his belongings directly to her." Elder Han''s eyes shifted slightly as he smiled politely and said, "You don''t have to worry yourself so much with this, Young Friend. You can give us Han Ming''s belongings and we will give them to his sister." Shen Yuan looked at him for a minute, considering whether to give it to him or not, but in the end, he made up his mind as he asked, "I still want to meet up with her before leaving, can you arrange a meeting between us?" Elder Han''s expression fell slightly as he said, "I''m afraid that would be quite difficult. You see, Han Ming''s sister had left the n''s estate sometime before to travel to her Sect. And we don''t know when she will be back." Shen Yuan frowned slightly hearing his words, even though he expected that there was a chance that she would have left for the sect, he hoped that he could meet up with her here and continue on his journey. Elder Han looked at Shen Yuan and said, "About Han Ming''s belongings-" "Young Miss, stop! Elder Han Yun is currently attending to an important guest." A voice abruptly interrupted Han Yun as they both looked towards the gate. A young beauty with flowing silver hair and shiny silver eyes that seemed to pierce the soul came inside. Her wless, milky white skin glowed softly in the sunlight, and on her forehead was a four-petal pinkish-white lotus symbol, adding to her ethereal aura. She looked inside and was shocked to see Shen Yuan sitting inside. She hurriedly came towards him. She wasn''t expecting to meet Shen Yuan so soon. She greeted him aftering towards him, "It''s good to see you again, sir." Shen Yuan looked at her and sighed as he shook his head internally, ''As expected, it is her.'' He smiled lightly and said, "We met again so soon. Looks like fate already had some ns for us." read-on-NovelFire The young girl forced a smile, "Indeed, it seems we were destined to meet here." She was none other than Han Qingyu who he met at the Green Jade Alchemy Pavilion. At that time her appearance was different but Shen Yuan still saw through her disguise, he just didn''t expose her at that time. Shen Yuan then looked towards Han Yun and smiled lightly, "It looks like I can talk with Qingyu on my own. If you don''t mind Elder Han, can you give us some space to discuss some matters?" Shen Yuan politely asked Elder Han Yun to leave them alone. Elder Han Yun stood up and looked coldly towards Han Qingyu before snorting, "Remember, the Ancestral Seal belongs to the n Leader, you better hand it over soon." He didn''t say anything to Shen Yuan since he didn''t want to offend someone unknown for no reason. Han Qingyu didn''t even acknowledge Elder Han Yun. He left feeling frustrated as he couldn''t do anything to her right now or else the family''s name would be dragged through the mud. Shen Yuan sat down again after Elder Han Yun left and gestured to Han Qingyu to sit down as well. He said, looking at her, "Never did I expect that you would be Brother Han Ming''s sister." Han Qingyu hesitated for a moment before taking a seat opposite Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan closed the doors of the room with a wave of his hand. Chapter 109: Ancestral Seal Shen Yuan looked at her for a moment and spoke again, "Looks like the Han n isn''t treating you all that well. Seems like the rumors were true regarding your n." he said with a sigh as even the high and mighty cultivators can''t escape the fate of being mixed in conflicts. Whether they be conflicts from outside the family or inside. Han Qingyu nodded with a sad expression as well, but couldn''t form words to reply to him. Shen Yuan changed the topic, seeing her like this. "What''s this Ancestral Seal about? And why was he demanding it from you?" Han Qingyu considered for some time whether it was something an outsider should know. But then she remembered who she was dealing with as she cleared her throat and spoke, "The Ancestral Seal is an heirloom of our Sect, it''s not only a powerful weapon but it''s also the treasure of the ns Head. A symbol of leadership and authority." She paused here slightly, "Without it, you can''t be recognized as a rightful heir of the family. And no I don''t have it as it was handled down to my brother from our father directly before he went into that fight. And due to moral obligation, other Elders didn''t take it from him." Experience the best on mvl _emp _yr. Shen Yuan nodded as he got the gist of the Han n''s situation. But he continued listening to her patiently. "But in a recent mission, my brother died." Her voice shook slightly as she spoke till now but she didn''t shed any tears but lowered her head slightly and continued, "I was trying to collect money for his proper funeral because the n elders said the n was short on funds and couldn''t host a funeral for my brother." Her trembling intensified as she mentioned this. She was on the verge of tears when she felt arge hand gently caressing her head. She lifted her head and looked through her misty eyes. Shen Yuan was standing in front of her, caressing her head gently as he said, "You don''t have to carry this burden alone. Since I''m here now, I will help you." Han Qingyu felt her nose sting as a lump formed in her throat, "Why¡­" that''s all she could ask as she looked at Shen Yuan. "Because I am your brother''s friend. You might not know why I came here since you seem toe here in a hurry." He spoke gently while patting her head. He thought about what to tell her for a second, reminscing about his time in the forest as he said with a heavy tone, "I met with your brother during the training session, and we fought together as well. We made an oath to be sworn brothers while dancing on the line of death. But unfortunately, he couldn''t survive the onught of the bandits and died to protect me from an arrow." He released a sad sigh as he spoke thest line. Han Qingyu''s eyes began blurring as tears welled up in them. She finally got confirmation about her brother''s situation but it wasn''t what she wanted. Nheless, Han Qingyu appreciated Shen Yuan for telling her the truth instead of making excuses. Shen Yuan could only sigh looking at her as he pulled her up for a hug. "It''s okay to cry. Sometimes you shouldn''t hold back in your feelings." ''Yue Lan, set up a barrier around this room so our voices won''t go outside.'' he said to Yue Lan who did that quite easily. Meanwhile, Han Qingyu was shocked to be hugging a stranger for the first time in her life, but it didn''tst for long as she remembered about her brother''s untimely death. She buried her face in Shen Yuan''s chest, crumbling the wall ofposure she tried so hard to maintain for so long. Her body trembled slightly in his embrace as he patted her back. Soon, she began sobbing softly, wetting Shen Yuan''s robes. Her hands clenched tightly in Shen Yuan''s robe, Shen Yuan said nothing and continued to pat her back, letting all of her sadness flow through her tears. After what felt like an eternity, Han Qingyu''s sobs began to stop. Her grip on Shen Yuan''s robes lost as she soon left his embrace. She pulled away from him just enough to look up to him with her tear stricken face, her silver eyes puffy and red from crying. "Thank you¡­" she whispered softly, her voice weak but filled with sincerity, "I- I-" Shen Yuan smiled lightly and wiped her face with one hand to clear the tear marks. Han Qingyu looked quietly at him, making him smile lightly as he asked her in a soft voice, "Let''s sit down now." He sat as they both sat down near each other. Shen Yuan looked at her and asked "Should we talk about something now?" Han Qingyu nodded her head and asked, "what do you want to talk about?" "Before that," he said as he brought out a ring from his inventory, "This is what your brother left for you." Han Qingyu''s hand trembled as she took the ring. She looked at it nostalgically, almost as if remembering her brother. But she soon sighed and used her blood to take the ownership of the ring. She looked inside for a bit and brought out an ancient looking seal. "This is what the Elder Han Yun was looking for, Han n''s Ancestral Seal. It''s actually not only a symbol of authority but also most of the formations are operated by it." She said softly looking at the Ancestral Seal which was producing a soft glow after returning on the n''s ground. Shen Yuan nodded his head as he didn''t know about this before. They continued chatting for quite some time, Han Qingyu sharing her knowledge about various things while Shen Yuan asked questions about what he didn''t know. Yue Lan remained silent throughout the interaction as she didn''t want to interfere with his development. Shen Yuan finally looked outside and said with a smirk, "Finally couldn''t hold back, I see." Han Qingyu looked at the empty gate and got confused, she turned back at Shen Yuan and asked, "What do you mean? Big Brother Yuan?" She already started calling him Big Brother as Shen Yuan asked for it from her himself. Shen Yuan lightly smiled and said, "They are encircling this building right now to close off our escape routes." Han Qingyu''s eyes widened as she heard this, "But why?? Why would they do this when you came to return the Ancestral Seal to us?" Shen Yuan smiled lightly and said, "That''s because they are not sure if I want to return the seal or to take control of the Han n." Before she could ask him any more questions, a thunderous voice came from outside, "Han Qingyu! Give up the Ancestral Seal if you want to live in peace." It was none other than Elder Han Yun who came to threaten her. But this time he wasn''t alone as 6-7 other elder were with him. All of them were in the Origin Core Creation Realm, ranging from 1st to 9th level. The oldest looking elder among them was at that level. But they were a lot stronger than random bandits as they had systematic training since young and their cultivation manuals were better as well. Chapter 110: Han Clan Elders Shen Yuan heard what he said and said to Han Qingyu, "Shall we head out and see what he has to say?" Han Qingyu nodded her head and stood up from her chair together with Shen Yuan. They walked slowly towards the exit of the gate when Shen Yuan suddenly said to her, "No matter what happens, don''t leave my side. I have a feeling this ce won''t be peaceful for long." Han Qingyu nodded her head heavily as she walked closer to Shen Yuan than before. Soon they reached the gate and looked outside, there were a lot of n disciples gathered outside together with around half a dozen elders. Shen Yuan looked at the line-up and said with a smirk, "Wow, I''m honored that the esteemed Han n would send so many people to wee my visit to their n." The Han n members'' faces darkened as they heard what he said, one of the elders, who was stronger than Elder Han Yun stepped forward and said, "You should leave, young man. This is the internal matter of the Han Family. Outsiders need not meddle in it." He spoke with a heavy tone looking directly at Shen Yuan. Who only smiled upon hearing him. He patted Han Qingyu''s head and said, "You see, Han Ming was my sworn brother. So what happens to her sister does matter to me. And from the looks of it, you guys won''t treat her nicely even if I left her with you lot." He then turned his head to the side and asked in a gentle tone to Han Qingyu, "Do you want to leave with me, Qingyu?" Han Qingyu was put in a tough spot as she heard what Shen Yuan said, the elders also red at her. She didn''t want to leave the n as this was the ce where she grew up and had made all the memories. She struggled internally as she looked conflicted, Shen Yuan smiled gently looking at her, and said, "You don''t need to worry about missing this ce. You can return here whenever you want, else this ce will just remind you of your painful past." He stopped patting her head and said in a serious tone, "Sometimes it is better to let go than to hold on to something that will only hurt you." Han Qingyu regained rity in her eyes but before she could reply, the Grand Elder of Han n stepped forward, his voice thundered as he said, "Enough! Hand over the Ancestral Seal of the Han n before discussing anything further." All the other Elders also got ready for a fight as they looked at Shen Yuan warily. Shen Yuan looked at them with a light smile as his eyes glinted with a hint of coldness, "You think you can order me around? I was being polite before because I wanted to know how you treated Han Ming and Han Qingyu, so don''t give me another reason to send you all to hell." All the elders'' faces dropped as they released their cultivation bases, the Grand Elder said, "Young Man, you might be from a prestigious n but our n is also a part of Saber Mountain Sect, don''t think that you are untouchable just because of your n here." Shen Yuan brought out a saber as he looked toward the Grand Elder and said, "I alone am enough for a small n like you, and I don''t belong to any n." The elder faces didn''t change as they couldn''t believe that such a talent could be raised outside of a prestigious heritage. The Grand Elder coldly spoke, "So be it, if death is what you want, then we will grant you your wish." Shen Yuan pulled Han Qingyu to his back and softly said to her, "Just watch how I beat them up." He stepped forward with a saber in his hand and said, "Come at me, all of you!" "Don''t be so arrogant, Young Man!" Elder Han Yun stepped forward, releasing his 5th Stage Origin Core Creation Realm cultivation base. But his eyes shed with surprise as he saw Shen Yuan withstanding his pressure without any signs of struggle. But he attributed it to some of his treasure to withstand pressure. A lot of the n''s Sessors possess such treasures to not embarrass the n in front of some seniors. He brought out his saber and spoke in a heavy tone, "Speak your final wish, brat. You won''t be leaving this ce alive." He didn''t mince his words like the Grand Elder and spoke his mind. Shen Yuan chuckled lightly hearing his words, he raised his saber and said, "You aren''t worthy enough to kill me." Elder Han Yun''s facial muscles twitched as he roared and lunged to attack Shen Yuan, "How dare a mere junior talk back to me?!" Shen Yuan smirked slightly and thought, ''So easy to provoke, fucking retard.'' He stepped forward, "Let''s see what you have got for me." Shen Yuan also shed with his saber towards the iing Elder Han Yun. Their sabers shed as Elder Han Yun was pushed back from the first exchange while Shen Yuan moved forward to continue attacking him. He shed at his waist but Elder Han Yun swiftly moved his saber downward and struck Shen Yuan''s sword again. ''Should I kill him?'' Shen Yuan thought with a cold expression as he didn''t want to kill Han Ming''s rtives, but after hearing how they treated him and their killing intent towards him, Shen Yuan stopped hesitating and his eyes became firm. ''Earth Cutting Saber!'' he shouted in his mind as his sword became coated with a dark murky qi as he shed toward Elder Han Yun''s neck. Elder Han Yun moved his saber to block the iing attack. But as soon as his eyesnded in Shen Yuan''s saber, he felt a hint of fear forming in his heart. Shen Yuan''s sword sliced through Elder Han Yun''s sword and neck like a hot knife through butter. Elder Han Yun''s decapitated head fell in front of the other elders as they took a step back, even if Han Yun was among the weakest of the elders in the Han n, none of the other Elders could kill him this easily except the Grand Elder. Discover magic on m-vlemp _yr. They all looked back towards Shen Yuan with a solemn gaze, when Grand Elder spoke, "Young Friend, we just need the Ancestral Seal of our n. We don''t want to form any grudge with you." His tone became polite when he saw his martial strength, he didn''t want to make an enemy out of such an extraordinary genius. That''s why he even ignored the death of one of the Elders. Shen Yuan also stopped and began contemting his decision, but before he could arrive at a conclusion, another voice echoed out from the depths of the Han n. "Who dares to cause a ruckus inside my Han n!?" With the voice came a robust middle-aged man. His body seemed to be filled with strength as his presence felt regal. He was none other than the current n Leader of the Han n. All the Han n members kneeled in his direction as they said in unison, "Greetings, Patriarch!" Chapter 111: Fighting The Clan Leader The elders on the other hand only bowed to show their respect, "Greetings, n Leader." The current n leader, Han Tianfeng, had taken over after the death of the former n Leader. After breaking through to the Extreme Origin Core Realm, he used his newfound strength to justify bing the Patriarch, as he was the strongest member of the n. Han Tianfeng looked sharply at Shen Yuan before moving his gaze toward Han Qingyu, "My virtuous niece, I heard the Young Guest here brought some belongings of Han Ming back. Now, don''t you think it''s time you give back the Ancestral Seal of Han n back to the n?" Han Qingyu shivered slightly as she hid behind Shen Yuan, which prompted Han Tianfeng to finally take a closer look at Shen Yuan. "You really have some guts, Young Man. You daree to my Han n and kill my n members?" He spoke with contempt as he didn''t think a junior who participated with Hab Ming in the training could fight against him. Shen Yuan looked back at Han Qingyu and gave her a reassuring smile before turning back towards Han Tianfeng. His face lost his smile as he spoke in a cold tone, "I only kill those who deserve death. Otherwise, everyone in this estate would already be dead." Han Tianfeng replied in a cold tone, "It doesn''t matter whether they deserve death or not. You need to pay for killing a member of the Han n on the Han Estate." Shen Yuan''s eyes turned cold as he looked at Han Tianfeng, "What can you even do against me? Don''t think you are invincible just because you have broken through to Extreme Origin Core Realm." Han Tianfeng snorted coldly and pulled out his saber, the weapon emanating a chilling, oppressive aura. The sharpness of his qi felt like des piercing into the skin. All the Han n members took sharp breaths as they felt their n leader''s power, having an almost blind fate that the n leader was stronger. While the elders'' faces tensed, not knowing who was stronger than them. "Your tongue sure is sharp for such a young age.", Han Tianfeng said, his voice carrying hints of threat, "Let''s see if you can back that confidence up or not." Shen Yuan remained calm and just swung his saber in the air, its dark murky qi swirling around the de as if it was going to press everyone on the ground. "Stop your bullshit," Shen Yuan''s voice remained sharp as he continued, "Let''s see if you are worthy enough for me to show you my technique." Han Tianfeng''s eyes shed with fury as he rushed forward, his saber moving at a blinding speed. The ground cracked wherever he stepped. The Grand Elder hurriedly took out another array disk and activated the n protection formation to safeguard the n estate from the battle that was going to happen. Shen Yuan ignored the actions of the Grand Elder and continued staring at the rushing Han Tianfeng, his eyes remained calm and focused. read first on m v _l,e m _p _y _r He met Han Tianfeng''s attack head-on. The two sabers shed, creating a sonic boom in the surrounding area. Sparks flew as they fought with each other. Shen Yuan also opened his eyes slightly in surprise as Han Tianfeng was stronger than he expected. The ck Viper Gang, who imed to be nearly on the same level as an Extreme Origin Core Realm, were nothing but pathetic rats inparison to the power of a true Extreme Origin Core Realm cultivator. But that''s all, he wasn''t intimidated as he himself hadn''t unleashed all his powers yet. Han Tianfeng continued striking Shen Yuan with overwhelming strength, but Shen Yuan countered with precise attacks at his visible weakness. Each time the sabers struck each other, Shen Yuan absorbed the impact and repositioned himself for a swift counterattack. The Han n members could barely follow the battle as the two exchanged blows, only the elders were able to see something, gaining valuable experience from such a high-tier fight. "Is this all you got?" Shen Yuan taunted after counting all of his moves for a while with ease. "For someone who''s supposed to be the strongest in the Han n, you are rather pathetic." His voice filled with contempt as he looked at Han Tianfeng. Han Tianfeng''s face twisted in rage as he roared, "Take this, you demonic bastard!" His de got infused with an unknown intent as he utilized his ultimate technique, his de tearing through the air with a force capable of testing mountains apart. Shen Yuan''s eyes shed with a hint of understanding as he saw the preliminary stages of Saber Intent on Han Tianfeng''s saber. He didn''t want to miss this chance as he moved forward and decided to sh head-on with him. With a swift movement, Shen Yuan swung his saber up to sh with Han Tianfeng''s saber. BOOM! A shockwave rippled outward, shaking the entire Han n estate despite the protective formations. The trees outside got destroyed as all the Han n members dropped down to the ground. Afraid that a stray strand of Qi would kill them. Han Tianfeng splurted a mouthful of blood as he got down on one knee due to the pressure of Shen Yuan''s attack. Shen Yuan didn''t only use a saber technique but also infused his attack with a preliminary understanding of Saber Intent. Coupled with his robust physique and inexhaustible qi, Shen Yuan overpowered him with ease. "Cough¡­th¡­cough¡­this isn''t over yet!" Han Tianfeng said while coughing out blood. The other Han n members wanted to help but they knew they would do nothing but give Shen Yuan their head to cut due to the power disparity. "Your temperament needs refinement," Shen Yuan lightly said looking down at the kneeling Han Tianfeng, "You need to settle down and stop chasing the position of power, that''s why your foundation isn''t stable or else you would have been a lot stronger." This was what Yue Lan told Shen Yun during their fight, and since he got the chance to pretend to be master, he decided to take it. "Now, what should I do about you?" He said as he ced his saber on Han Tianfeng''s neck. All the Han n member''s eyes widened in shock as they looked at the scene which was unfolding in front of them. The Grand Elder hurriedly came forward seeing the stubborn look on Han Tianfeng''s face, "Young Lord! Please have mercy!" He begged as he kneeled in front of him. Shen Yuan looked at him from the corner of his eyes, "Aren''t you ashamed? Kneeling before a junior like me?" The grand elder looked up at Shen Yuan, his voice steady and calm, "There is nothing wrong in kneeling in front of someone stronger in the cultivation world, much less someone young like you who can reach unimaginable heightspared to us." Shen Yuan didn''t move his saber, but instead quietly looked at Han Tianfeng and the Grand Elder. Just then Han Qingyu came forward and put her hand on his arm, "No need to shed unnecessary blood, Big Brother Yuan. They are my nsmen as well. Even if they didn''t do anything for me, they also didn''t do anything against me." Chapter 112: Farewell She spoke softly as she looked at the kneeling members of the Han n, some of whom were shivering in fear. Her tone softened further as she turned to Shen Yuan, "I have decided to journey along with you." She said as she looked him in the eye, "There is nothing worth staying for anymore. My parents, and my brother all left already. There are now only painful memories remaining here. It''s better to leave with you." She said with a sad expression on her face. Shen Yuan looked at her for a moment before sighing and shaking his head, "As you wish, there was no grudge between us anyways. And even if I spare him he can''t be a threat to me." He pulled his saber back from his neck, the Grand Elder released a sigh of relief looking at it. Currently, Han Tianfeng was the backbone of the Han n, anything can happen to the rest of the members but he must live. Han Tianfeng didn''t say anything else as he stood up silently and walked backward from where he left, before entering the Main Hall, he paused and said, "I will be entering closed-door seclusion. Handle all the n affairs yourself." The other elders looked at each other with helpless looks but they couldn''t do anything as well and simply nodded their heads while Grand Elder said, "Do not worry about that, you can cultivate in peace and leave the n to me." Han Tianfeng lightly nodded his head and went inside. Shen Yuan looked at all of this with indifference since it had nothing to do with him, the only thing worthy of him to note here was Han Qingyu. Who looked at the closed door of the Main Hall for some time before turning towards the Grand Elder. "I will soon be leaving the n, thank you for everything you have done for me, Uncle Han Mu." She bowed towards the Grand Elder and thanked him for whatever he had done for her because if it wasn''t for him, they wouldn''t be able to keep the status of children of n Leader when their parents passed away. Grand Elder Han Mu just shook his head sadly and softly said, *Go and stay away from this n, this ce was never suitable for you ever since your parents left." Han Qingyu nodded as she took out another ancient-looking seal from her storage ring. All the Han n members'' eyes widened as they looked at the seal in her hand, they didn''t think that she would take it out before leaving. "You can keep this Uncle Han Mu, it is the treasure of the n and it should stay here as well." She tossed the seal towards the Grand Elder who hurriedly caught it. Han Qingyu felt as if a huge burden had been lifted from her as she released a long sigh, ''With this, I can leave freely without feeling guilty about taking something that belonged to the n.'' She then turned towards Shen Yuan and asked with a light tone, "Shall we leave now, Big Brother Yuan?" Shen Yuan nodded his head and turned around to leave the Han n, just then, the Grand Elders''s voice echoed from the back, "Please take care of her, Young Lord." Shen Yuan paused slightly as he replied in a light tone, "You need not worry about that, I will treat her a lot better than you bastards ever did." Grand Elder Han Mu could only sigh as he saw Shen Yuan and Han Qingyu leaving toward the burial site of Han Ming and her parents. Shen Yuan and Han Qingyu took care of Han Ming''s funeral before leaving the n estate. ¡­ In the bustling streets of Mountain de City, Shen Yuan and Han Qingyu were walking together. They didn''t say anything ever since leaving the Han n estate. Han Qingyu was lost in her thoughts while Shen Yuan was discussing his battle with Yue Lan. He was trying to remember the sensation he felt at the end of the battle, the sensation of the Saber Intent. [You held back quite a lot in that fight. Han Tianfeng would have been a puddle of blood if you had attacked him at your full power.] She broke his thoughts as his voice echoed in his mind. Shen Yuan looked ahead of him calmly and replied, ''Of course, I held back, I didn''t want to destroy Han Ming''s home on my first visit. And even Han Qingyu didn''t have much hatred towards her n. Han Tianfeng might be strong for his n but he wasn''t worthy enough to be a threat in my eyes.'' Yue Lan got silent as she considered his words for a second, [It''s good that you are learning to restrain your strength. The higher nes aren''t so forgiving. But this also highlights another problem, you are taking this way too lightly. In the world of cultivation, no one knows what can happen. The loser of the previous fight can turn the tidein the next battle and win by beheading his enemy.] She continued lecturing him about his carelessness in making enemies but not taking care of them. Shen Yuan felt his ears buzzing from all the nagging as he said hurriedly, ''Alright, alright, I understand, so calm down now. I will be more careful next time.'' he said with a light chuckle. Yue Lan got silent as she realized he wouldn''t understand the significance of it right now. Shen Yuan understood why she got silent, ''Do not worry, I know what can potentially happen. I have read this plot far too many times to forget about it. But Han Tianfeng wasn''t the type of individual to forge longsting grudges, otherwise, he wouldn''t be thinking of bing the n leader and shouldering massive responsibilities.'' He exined his reasoning to her, making her nod in agreement, [I was just warning you for the future. I don''t have any problem with your current decision.] Shen Yuan nodded and dropped the topic. He looked towards Han Qingyu as she was lost in thought, "Feeling homesick already?" He asked in a light teasing tone. Han Qingyu smiled and shook his head, "It''s not that Big Brother Yuan, I''m just thinking about where I should go from here. I don''t know even if I can follow you through your journey or end up bing a dead weight." Shen Yuan smiled gently and patted her head, "First, you don''t need to call me big brother, you can address me however you like. Second, I''m heading towards the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect to join it. You can travel with me there and join it with me." Han Qingyu''s eyes widened in shock, "A-Are you talking about THAT Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect?" Shen Yuan looked at her in confusion and asked, "Yeah, that''s the sect where my big sisters cultivate. Do you know about it?" Han Qingyu looked at him as if she was looking at him for the first time, "You really don''t know about that sect?!? It''s one of the most famous sects of the Aurora Zone, hell it might even be one of the top sects of the entire Eastern Deste Region!" Chapter 113: Introduction of the Sect She spoke excitedly as if she was talking about her idol. Realization dawned upon Shen Yuan as he nodded his head in understanding, ''I see, that''s why their cultiation soared up so fast.'' He asked Han Qingyu, "So, what is special about this sect?" Han Qingyu replied enthusiastically, "The best thing about the sect is the requirement to join it! It''s an all-female sect, only females can join it. I have heard about the best for male cultivators being there but no one has passed that test for tens of thousands of years." She stole a quick nce at Shen Yuan as she continued, "Of course, you can try to take the test, if you can pass then you will have the backing of one of the behemoths of Eastern Deste Region." Shen Yuan nodded as he digested the information. He began thinking about what the test might be. But he couldn''t think for long as Han Qingyu interrupted his thoughts, "As for the other things¡­well¡­umm" she hesitated as she lowered her head and continued in a voice as low as a mosquito, "Can I call you Brother Yuan? It feels like we are real brother and sister if I call you Big Brother Yuan." Shen Yuan gently smiled and patted her head again, "I don''t mind, you can call me whatever you want, Brother Yuan, Big Brother Yuan, it''s all up to you." Han Qingyu nodded her head happily, "Umn." They continued strolling the city for a bit before leaving. They head towards the outskirts of the city, on their way to exit it. ¡­ They soon left the city as they continued on their way. Shen Yuan bought two Cloud Chasing Horses and a carriage from the city to travel in since the distance between Saber Mountain Sect and Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect was massive. They would need a few weeks of travel just to reach it. "It will soon be time for the annual test of Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect to ept new disciples. Looks like we will be in time to reach it." Han Qingyu said while sitting beside Shen Yuan in the carriage. Shen Yuan nodded, "Well, it looks like we are heading on time then. But we should still hurry, otherwise we miss it." "We won''t bete with these Cloud Chasing Horses with us, they are one of the fastest rides in Saber Mountain City." He patted the back of the horse while praising it. Shen Yuan smiled, leaning back in the carriage, settling into afortable position. He rxedpletely, as if he were back at home with his family. His qi began to circte more rapidly within his meridians and acupoints. Shen Yuan didn''t notice it as he wasn''t focusing on anything in particr, and since there was no risk to his life, even his instincts didn''t warn him. He closed his eyes to enjoy the warm sun and the light breeze of the road. Han Qingyu smiled lightly looking at him and leaned her face on his shoulder to lie down. She also closed her eyes to rest. Shen Yuan opened his eyes slightly to look at her, but soon closed them again and didn''t say anything. Soon his cultivation base broke through to the 4th level of the Foundation Establishment realm. Yue Lan observed his cultivation progress, thinking to herself, ''It seems his body has adapted to the previous strain and is now passively absorbing the qi from Yuxin''s Primordial Yin. Hmm¡­it''s a good thing for Shen Yuan''s cultivation, nothing is better than natural breakthroughs.'' As Shen Yuan''s cultivation continued to increase steadily, the journey continued at a calm and steady pace for a few days until Shen Yuan encountered another group of bandits. He yawnedzily looking at the dozen or so bandits, "Scram before I kill all of you." He said lightly looking at them. "Hahaha, who are you brat?" The leader of the bandits, a buff man with muscles as hard as steelughed, "Can you even mov-" His voice was cut short as Shen Yuan used his Bow to shoot straight through his mouth, ending him in one move. "Looks like you guys can''t appreciate my kindness," he looked at the rest of the bandits, who stood frozen on the ground looking at their leader''s lifeless body. Shen Yuan said calmly, "Run." And started shooting with his bow one by one. The remaining bandits scattered in all directions, no longer having the courage to face the monster who had in their leader with a single strike. Shen Yuan killed a few more before sitting back down, he put away his bow and continued on his journey. Han Qingyu looked at him and asked, "Why didn''t you kill them all?" Shen Yuan smiled lightly at her, "You wanted me to kill all of them?" Han Qingyu gently shook her head, "No, I just want to know your reason for sparing them." Shen Yuan looked back where he killed the few bandits, "Their lives are worth less than grass to me. Killing them wouldn''t change a thing. Someone else would rece them. But now, they will spread the word about what happened here and no bandit wille on this road for a long time." Han Qingyu''s eyes shed with understanding as she nodded. Shen Yuan went back to his position, lying down on the carriage while resting his head on one side, while Han Qingyu sat down beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. Find joy in m-vlemp _yr. ¡­ They stopped by a few cities, exploring them as they felt bored traveling for days on end. They even stopped by a few viges. Looking at their simple mundane life filled them with peace. Their rtionship also grew stronger during this time when they were together. Han Qingyu finally let go of her npletely. Shen Yuan bought a lot of gifts not only for Han Qingyu but also for his Big Sisters and Mother. Han Qingyu saw him buying so many things that only women would buy, but she didn''t let her curiously get over her and didn''t ask Shen Yuan any questions. ¡­ One day, while traveling, Han Qingyu asked Shen Yuan, "Do you have any Dao Companionship, Brother Yuan?" Shen Yuan looked at her and smiled while asking, "Where did thate from?" "Nothing much, just wondering about it." She replied as she turned her face to the other side. Shen Yuan chuckled softly and answered her, "I do have Dao Companions, not only one but three." Han Qingyu felt as if someone gripped her heart, but she soon took a deep breath as her eyes became resolute for a second before turning normal, "Do you n on building a harem full of beautiful women, Brother Yuan?" This was the most crucial question for her as this would determine what she would pursue in the future. Shen Yuan looked at her for a moment, then smiled yfully, "Who wouldn''t want a harem full of beauties?" this answer disappointed Han Qingyu as she lowered her head, but Shen Yuan soon continued, "But I won''t ept another Dao Companion before getting permission from my harem members. That is the bottom line set by us." Chapter 114: Sacred Lotus City Han Qingyu''s eyes regained rity as her ood brightened up, she almost cheered loudly as she was feeling inexplicably happy. Shen Yuan looked at her strangely and asked, "Are you okay?" Han Qingyu hurriedly nodded in embarrassment, "Ah yes, sorry for my behavior." They continued chatting for a bit when Yue Lan''s voice echoed in his mind, [Do you n on adding her to your harem as well?] Shen Yuan looked seriously at Yue Lan for a moment before replying, ''I don''t know, I shall let nature take its course. If we are meant to be then I won''t stop myself.'' Yue Lan nodded in agreement inside him as she said, [She has quite a special body, you can benefit greatly from her if you cultivate together.] Shen Yuan got curious but before he could ask any more details, he saw a supermassive city in the distanceing in his view. Han Qingyu also looked ahead and spoke with an excited smile, "That''s the Sacred Lotus City! The paradise for female cultivators." Shen Yuan looked at her, being all excited, and smiled lightly, "It''s truly a majestic sight, the city really is pleasant to see." He could see a sea of female cultivators entering the city in hopes of being able to enter the sect, but most of them were mortals. Since all sects focused on cultivating disciples from the beginning of their path, very rarely do they ept disciples who are already strong. Shen Yuan and Han Qingyu walked towards therge city gates of Sacred Lotus City. Even though the majority of the travelers were female on the road, there were still a good amount of male cultivators. But they were only here to sightsee as they couldn''t join the sect and neither would any of the establishments want male workers since the guests were mainly female cultivators. Before he could enter the city, he felt something as he grabbed Han Qingyu''s hand and left to look for a hidden ce. After looking for a while he came behind some trees, while Han Qingyu looked at his actions in confusion. She wasn''t worried that he would do something to her as she got to know him better in the time they spent together. Before Shen Yuan could exin anything to her, a soft glow lit up the surroundings as Huo Rong''s lively voice echoed, "Yuan''errr!! Did you miss me!?" Before he could even look toward the source of light, he felt something soft hit his face as Huo Rong hugged him tightly, "I missed you sooo much!" She said happily as she looked at him. Shen Yuan also got a good look at her after she calmed down a little, she hasn''t changed a single bit from what he remembered about her. Meanwhile, Han Qingyu''s eyes widened looking at their intimate rtionship, she knew he already had a few partners but this still made her feel as if someone smashed a hammer on her chest. He smiled gently and patted her head, "It''s good to see you again, Big Sister" Han Qingyu''s mood brightened up as soon as she heard what Shen Yuan said, ''So, is she Shen Yuan''s big sis and not his Dao Companion?" Huo Rong calmed down and left Shen Yuan after giving him a peck on his cheeks. "It''s been months since I havest seen you Yuan''er. You have really changed." Huo Rong said as she looked at him from top to bottom. Shen Yuan looked at her in confusion for a bit and said, "It''s only been a few weeks since west saw each other. I traveled through a few empires in the meantime to reach the sect you mentioned." Realization dawned on Huo Rong as she nodded and replied, "I forgot but Yue Lan mentioned that due to you reaching the sect sooner than expected, she used some of your Chaos Coins to elerate the time around me so I could digest the pills and change my technique faster." Shen Yuan also understood that this was the work of Yue Lan. He smiled happily, "It''s good that you are back, I was beginning to miss you already." He hugged her tightly, embracing her soft body as he felt her hotness seeping into his clothes. The soft sensations of her skin made himfortable as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment. Huo Rong also melted in his embrace as she rested her head on Shen Yuan''s chest, closing her eyes as she rxed. Shen Yuan took a deep breath as her fragrance filled his entire body. Han Qingyu turned her face to the side, seeing them acting so intimate, her face also turned slightly red. Neither of them paid her any mind as they were lost in their own world. After what felt like an eternity, Huo Rong gently left Shen Yuan''s embrace. Huo Rong smiled lightly, feeling content. She finally turned to Han Qingyu, ncing back and forth between her and Shen Yuan. Han Qingyu turned her gaze back toward Shen Yuan and Huo Rong. She felt flustered as Huo Rong looked between her and Shen Yuan. Meanwhile, Shen Yuan smiled lightly and shook his head, "It''s not what you are thinking." Huo Rong finally rested her gaze on Shen Yuan as she asked him in a yful tone while narrowing her eyes, "So, she hasn''t yet joined your harem. But it looks like you both aren''t far from it as well." Han Qingyu lowered her head as she felt shy hearing what she said, Shen Yuan also noticed her actions but ignored it for now. Shen Yuan introduced Han Qingyu to Huo Rong, "She is Han Qingyu, sister of Han Ming who I told you about before." he then turned to Han Qingyu while pointing towards Huo Rong, "She is Huo Rong, my Big Sister, and my Dao Companion." Han Qingyu''s eyes widened as Shen Yuan confirmed what she didn''t want to hear the most. Because if someone else joins in now, her alone time with Shen Yuan will end. Huo Rong also lost her yful smile as she introduced her, "Nice to meet you, I am Huo Rong, his big sister as well as one of his Dao Companion." Enjoy tales on m-vle-mp _yr. Han Qingyu also came out of her shock as she hurriedly bowed and shuttered, "N-Nice to meet you, Big Sister!!" Her eyes widened and her face flushed red as she realized what she had said. Huo Rong smiled yfully as she heard her, she moved closer and stood in front of her. Both were about the same height as Huo Rong said, "Hoh, already acting so close, do you want to join his harem that much?" Han Qingyu lowered her head in embarrassment, just then Shen Yuan interjected, "Alright, don''t tease her so much. We just arrived in the Sacred Lotus City today. You should show us the city today so we can make further ns." Huo Rong giggled softly, "Ai~ She hasn''t even joined the harem yet, and look at you, already helping her." Shen Yuan just smiled and shook his head. He knew he couldn''t do anything about her so he began walking back towards the city. Chapter 115: Exploring The City Huo Rong also stopped teasing Han Qingyu and followed Shen Yuan. Han Qingyu also heaved a sigh of relief as she followed after them. ''Are they real brother sister or martial brother sister?'' she wondered while following behind them. ¡­ They soon reached the city gates, Shen Yuan was wearing ck robes with his ck hair tied behind his back. Han Qingyu was wearing white robes, enhancing her silver hair and making her look like a pure white lotus. Meanwhile, Huo Rong wore red robes with a veil covering her face, this only made her look more mysterious and enchanting. Shen Yuan looked at her from the side of his eyes, "I have been meaning to ask you, why are you wearing a veil here?" Huo Rong giggled softly, "Hehe~ you might not know but I''m pretty famous here. It would be troublesome if someone saw me with you. So, let''s explore the city first before you go and take the test to join the sect." The trio went towards the gate, where a few female guards were overseeing the entry and exit of cultivators and mortals alike. Shen Yuan went up to them and handed over three low-grade spirit stones as entry fees. The female guards admired his appearance for a bit, making Huo Rong cough as they came out of their fantasy. Some of the younger girls'' faces flushed in embarrassment while the older ones smiled politely and made way for them. Shen Yuan chuckled lightly and entered through the gates together with Huo Rong and Han Qingyu. The bustling city was filled with aspiring female cultivators who came from all over the Aurora Zone and beyond. There were cultivators from various different races. Each hoped to join the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect or simply witness the grandeur of the sect that stood together with the giants of the Eastern Deste Region. Shen Yuan noticed the admiring looks he was receiving from the female cultivators who were inside the city. Huo Rong smiled behind her veil as she nudged Shen Yuan, "Look how popr you are, all the young girls are giving you admiring looks." . Shen Yuan chuckled, "Let them be. I''m more interested in exploring the city before heading to take the exam of Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect." Han Qingyu looked around curiously as well since it was her first time in a city where the majority poption was female. "It''s really more beautiful than I thought. Everything here seemed so vibrant." Han Qingyu spoke with a face filled with fascination. Huo Rong smiled gently, "That''s because of the cultivation arts of Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect, they infused the whole city with a radiant and peaceful atmosphere. And the sheer size and strength of the sects helps as well since no one dares to mess with the city guards." Shen Yuan smiled lightly, hearing her, "So, will you show us around now?" Huo Rong stepped forward and puffed out her chest, "Worry not! I will show you around the city. After all, I grew up in this ce." She led them around through the city. They passed by a few training grounds where young cultivators were cultivating their bodies toy down a solid foundation for the future. This was the first city where they saw such young cultivators already practicing to forge their bodies. There was also a beautifuldy teaching them cultivation while manifesting a lotus flower to help them nourish their bodies. Shen Yuan stopped for a moment to observe the youngdies'' cultivation art. He saw how she manifested the red lotus flower with her cultivation art. The youngdy turned her face to his side when she felt someone observing her. Shen Yuan smiled politely at her when he saw that she noticed him. She smiled back at him politely before turning her head back and focusing on training the kids. Huo Rong spoke up looking at how interested Shen Yuan was in it, "The Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect focuses on nurturing the young talents of the next generation. That''s why it issues a sect mission from time to time for the sect disciples toe down from the mountains and train these aspiring cultivators." Shen Yuan noticed that there were not only little girls practicing under the youngdy but also a few little boys. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity, "Why is she training little boys? Doesn''t the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect only ept female disciples?" Huo Rong smiled with a hint of pride, "That''s because our Sect does not discriminate. Even if they can''t join our sect, they can join one of our subsidiary sects or one of the sects from our alliance." Shen Yuan nodded in understanding. Han Qingyu looked at all of this with surprise at the magnanimous nature of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect. She also looked at the confident demeanor of Shen Yuan. Feeling an urge to get stronger like never before to not be left behind by him. The trio continued walking through the streets, going from one ce to another. Each new location amazed Shen Yuan and Han Qingyu. They passed through a market brimming with stalls of various light-attributed herbs or treasures. There were various pills with positive effects as well such as healing pills, cleansing pills, detoxification pills, and many more. Female cultivators, both young and old, looked through the stalls. Purchasing or bargaining with the stall owner all over the ce. There were even some rare treasures of heaven and earth, the petals of a Silver Lotus Flower, which helps greatly in increasing the cultivation speed for a short time without any side-effects. Shen Yuan noticed some finely crafted weapons in one of the stores of the market. He headed toward them to get a close look. It was a shop filled with fine weapons, all infused with a soft glow They ranged from daggers and short swords to bows and Long Swords. A female attendant noticed him staring and smiled warmly. "Anything you are interested in, sir?" she asked as she moved towards his group, "These are all finely crafted weapons that are infused with Radiant Qi of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect. They are best for buffing oneself and they are also resistant against dark affinity weapons." Shen Yuan smiled politely and waked his hand, "Ah, no need to trouble yourself, I''m just looking around. Huo Rong giggled softly looking at him, "Be careful now, if you smile like that at everyone then it won''t be just a few weapons that you will leave with." Shen Yuan smiled and shook his head, "We will think about thatter, let''s see what else we have in this city." They continued down a street lined up with beautifully crafted tea houses and inns. Each establishment had a unique style as if someone painted the scenery here to be different. One tea house in particr attracted Han Qingyu''s attention as she looked at it curiously. The establishment''s name was ''Lotus Blossom Pavilion written'' on a signboard outside. Shen Yuan, noticing her curiosity, smiled lightly and asked Huo Rong, "Shall we stop here for a bit? We should also taste the food and tea of such a spectacr city." Chapter 116: Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect Huo Rong nodded, "Why not, this ce has the best lotus blossom tea in the city." She paused as she giggled softly, "Hehe~ But it''s also one of the most expensive pavilions around here. Looks like you will be treating us to good food today." Shen Yuan shook his head and went ahead to enter the Lotus Blossom Pavilion. As they entered the pavilion, they were greeted by a hostess dressed in soft pink robes. The interior was cozy, with lotus flowers crafted in various different ces. A small stream of water ran through the middle of the pavilion, creating a beautiful and peaceful atmosphere. Shen Yuan and the others looked around for a bit and then headed towards the stairs to go to higher floors. The hostess interjected them with an apologetic expression on her face, "Sorry, dear guest. But the upper floors are reserved for those who have a special badge of the pavilion-" Before she finished speaking, Huo Rong took out a badge from her storage ring and tossed it at the hostess, "Is that enough?" She asked in a light tone. The hostess caught it hurriedly and took a closer look at it. As soon as she took a look at it, her eyes widened in shock and she nearly dropped the badge from her hand. "T-t-this" Before she evenpleted her sentence, she hurriedly bowed, "My apologies, dear guest, please this way." Shen Yuan looked at Huo Rong for a moment before shaking his head and following after the hostess. Han Qingyu looked like she wanted to ask what it was, but she was too shy to ask so she followed after Shen Yuan. Huo Rong also followed behind the group as they soon reached the top floor. Shen Yuan sat by the window, looking at the breathtaking scene of the city. The breeze from the open window was refreshing as he could smell the faint fragrance of lotus petals. Huo Rong ordered a pot of lotus blossom tea, while Han Qingyu looked around with curiosity like a cat. "This city is so peaceful," Han Qingyu said aloud, looking at the city from the window, "I have been to quite a few cities doing sect missions, but none felt like this." "That''s the beauty of Sacred Lotus City." Huo Rong replied with a smile, "But since we have already talked about this topic I won''t say much. Just that the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect is one of the most peaceful sects of the Aurora Zone." Shen Yuan nodded in agreement, "It''s truly remarkable, to stay not only neutral in such a world but even be so peaceful. The martial strength of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect can absolutely not be underestimated." He paused and continued, "I do not doubt that a lot of unrted cultivators would sacrifice their lives just to protect the tranquil atmosphere of this city." Soon the tea was served as Han Qingyu took the initiative to pour it for Shen Yuan first then for Huo Rong and finally for herself. Shen Yuan picked it up with both hands and blew on it to cool it down before taking a sip. His eyes widened as he tasted the tea, "It''s really refreshing and unique." He praised it as he savored the taste. Han Qingyu nodded in agreement after taking a sip, "It''s really unlike any tea I have tried before." Huo Rong looked happily at them as they continued drinking and chatting. After enjoying the tea, Shen Yuan paid the amount, and the amount was so huge that it made Han Qingyu''s eyes widen. But Shen Yuan didn''t mind as he felt that the price was right for this treatment and such high-quality tea. They continued exploring the city, looking at various attractions such as Auction House, Battle Ground, and a lot of other ces. After exploring the city until they felt content, they went towards the other side of the city, where the gates of Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect were located. After reaching there, Huo Rong paused as she looked at Shen Yuan seriously, "Yuan''er, I know that you are talented beyond belief, but you should not take this test lightly. In thest hundreds of thousands of years, no disciple has been able to pass it." Shen Yuan nodded his head seriously and promised, "You don''t have to worry about that Sister Huo, I will take caution and won''t underestimate the trials." Han Qingyu also encouraged Shen Yuan, "You can do it, Brother Yuan!" Shen Yuan smiled and patted her head, "Yes, yes, I will. Don''t worry about it." Huo Rong felt her eyes twitch looking at how intimate they were, she gently pulled Han Qingyu to her side. "Now, you can take this letter and give it to someone, I will take Qingyu with me to make her join the sect." Huo Rong said as she threw a letter at Shen Yuan while pulling Han Qingyu with her. "Wait a bit," Shen Yuan said as both Huo Rong and Han Qingyu paused, "She has a special physique, you should look into that if they check her talent." Huo Rong raised an eyebrow as she looked at Han Qingyu with interest. Meanwhile, Han Qingyu was looking at Shen Yuan with wide eyes, "Wait wait, Brother Yuan, you must be mistaken. I don''t have any special physique, otherwise, I wouldn''t only be in the Foundation Establishment realm." Shen Yuan turned and started walking away while waving her hand, "You don''t need to worry about it. Sister Huo will take care of the rest." He went on the path leading to the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect, leaving both Han Qingyu and Huo Rong alone. Huo Rong looked at her and said with a slight smile, "Now, let''s have a chat, shall we?" Han Qingyu had a bad feeling about this as she felt her back turning cold. She looked at Huo Rong and smiled weakly, "What are you talking about, Sister Huo?" ¡­ Shen Yuan looked at the path leading towards the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect with a calm gaze. The majestic yet peaceful atmosphere of the sect became apparent to him as he walked closer to it. Soon, the massive doors of the sect came into view. There were various carvings of golden lotus flowers on it. Get thetest from m-vl-emp _yr. Female disciples stood guard near the entrance of the sect, their aura peaceful yet filled with might. Reminding anyone who approached the sect that it was still one of the top sects of Eastern Deste despite its peaceful nature. He thought about the letter that Huo Rong gave him, wondering about the contents in it that he would have to give someone. As he approached the gates, one of the guards standing on duty stepped forward, a tall woman with long flowing hair and an aura that one could tell came from a strict person who followed all the rules. She looked at Shen Yuan with curious eyes as no male disciple had approached the sect gates alone for a long time. If any male cultivators came, it was usually for official business from another sect. "Halt!" The woman raised her hand, "State your business." she spoke precisely without any greeting. Chapter 117: Ancestral Pagoda Shen Yuan stopped and looked at her for a second before replying, "My name is Shen Yuan. I am here to participate in the entrance trials for the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect." The female cultivator''s eye widened slightly in surprise as she hadn''t heard of anyone taking the test for hundreds of years. She took another closer look at Shen Yuan and shook her head, "Sorry, but we don''t let just anyone participate in the trials. You need a rmendation letter from someone inside the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect to participate in it." Shen Yuan nodded his head and took out the letter given by Huo Rong, he waved his hand and asked, "Is this the letter you were talking about?" The female guard''s eyes narrowed slightly as she couldn''t verify if it was real or not from afar, but no sane man would dare to impersonate an Elder of the sect just to try the trail. But she still proceeded with caution as she asked, "May I have a look at that letter? I need to verify its authenticity." Shen Yuan nodded with a smile and threw the letter at the guard, who hurriedly caught it, afraid of damaging it. She released a sigh of relief seeing that it wasn''t damaged, making Shen Yuan chuckle a little when he remembered her stoic look. She red at him for a second before opening the letter. She read it for a few seconds, and her expression shifted between shock, amazement, and curiosity before she handed back the letter to Shen Yuan. "I didn''t know Peak Master also found someone so promising such as you." The female guard praised Shen Yuan sincerely, "May you pass the exam. You can walk on this road directly and then take a right turn to reach the Trial Pagoda." Shen Yuan nodded his head and received back the letter with a smile before heading straight for the Pagoda. As soon as he entered the Sect grounds, the air around him changed, bing much heavier with qi filling the atmosphere. He could feel his cultivation base bing stronger just by standing on the ground. And only at this time did he realize that his cultivation base was at the 7th level of the Foundation Establishment realm, his eyes widened in surprise as he hadn''t realized it before. ''Yue Lan, what is happening with my cultivation base? How did it increase when I haven''t even cultivated it before?'' m _v,l-e _mp|y|r reader Yue Lan''s voice echoed inside his mind, [That''s because your body has been adapting ever since your dual cultivation session. The enchantment just hasn''t ended yet as your cultivation will improve till the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm until it is fully stabilized.] Realization dawned on Shen Yuan as he nodded his head and stopped thinking about it. For now, he had to focus on the trial at hand. After a short walk and a turn, he saw the Trail Pagoda from afar. Its structure was ancient and mysterious, with intricate lotus carved into each surface. It had a total of seven floors, each representing a different trial that a disciple needed to pass before reaching the top. And since no one has reached the top till now, no one knew what would be on top as well. The Pagoda was left by the founding ancestor of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect, Radiant Ancestor. And she also left the rule that only male disciples can try to clear the trial tower. For this reason, theter generation had to make apromise to allow all outside disciples to try entering the tower, but only those who made it to the top could join the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect. Shen Yuan soon came below the Pagoda as there was an elder sitting beneath it. Looking as if she was meditating. But she soon opened her eyes as she felt a presence nearby. She was an inner elder of the Burning Lotus Peak, Xun Shuren, who came to preside over a disciple who came to take the trial of the Ancestral Pagoda. Shen Yuan recognized her from the various illustrations Huo Rong showed her while they were drinking tea. Elder Xun stepped forward,ing right in front of Shen Yuan. Her sharp eyes looked at him from head to toe, as though she were admiring a work of art "Your cultivation base is really something else, it''s much more solid than anything I have seen in my life. So, you are the one who wanted to take the Ancestral Pagoda Trial?" She asked in a serious tone, as if taking the trial was noughing matter. Shen Yuan bowed slightly in respect, "Yes, that would indeed be me. I would like to take the Pagoda Trial to join the sect." Elder Xun nodded and stepped to the side, "Go ahead then, you can take the trial right now." Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow as he looked at her, "Are you not going to check if my letter is genuine or fake?" Elder Xun shook her head, "It doesn''t matter if it''s forged or not, after going inside the chances ofing out alive are quite low. Most people choose toplete one Pagoda level before giving up." She paused slightly and continued, "Otherwise the death toll would be a lot higher as well." Shen Yuan also thought that what she did made sense so he didn''t continue asking useless questions. He walked towards the Pagoda while looking at its magnificent appearance. As soon as he entered the Pagoda, it was as if everything in his surroundings had vanished. He couldn''t feel anything for a while, but soon his senses returned. The first thing that came into his sight was the limitless expanse. He couldn''t even see the end of it. He looked up and saw that there was a sign. ''Walk to the other end of the ne to go up.'' Shen Yuan looked around a bit to see if he was missing anything. After having a good look and making sure he didn''t miss anything, he started walking. He could feel the pressure increasing by a little each time he took a step forward. "This is surprisingly easy," he said while he continued walking forward. After moving tens of km, the pressure increased quite a bit but it didn''t affect Shen Yuan''s movement speed. Shen Yuan didn''t stop even after traveling for hundreds of km, he could now feel the pressure more clearly but it was still rtively easy for him to move forward. Shen Yuan didn''t mind and continued walking through the desert. Soon, the biome changed as he now had to walk through a forest. The roots and tree were in his way, which he tried to remove with a Qi attack only for it to not have any effect. He frowned slightly, "Looks like I can''t destroy any of the stuff on this floor. I need to go through them without stopping." With that figured out, he continued walking through the forest, increasing his speed since it would take too much time to cross the forest while avoiding all kinds of things inside. ¡­ He traversed through several distinct biomes before finally reaching a staircase leading to the upper levels. Chapter 118: Clearing Pagoda I He crossed through an invisible barrier and felt the pressure vanishing as he came close to the stairs. He looked back and stretched, "That was easy." [It was easy because of your quintessential foundation. If someone else was in your position with your cultivation base, then he would be lucky if he could get out from the first biome.] Yue Lan spoke as she reminded him of his exceptional cultivation foundation. Shen Yuan smiled smugly, "So what you mean is, that I am a supreme genius." Yue Lan got silent as she couldn''t reply to Shen Yuan''s shameless eptance. He chuckled and shook his head. He looked ahead and ascended to the higher floor. ¡­ Outside of the Ancestral Pagoda, Xun Shuren stood watching the Pagoda. Her eyes shed with surprise as she saw the first level of the Pagoda lit up. Just then, a voice echoed from afar, "Shuren~, how is Yuan''er doing now?" Huo Rong came towards the Ancestral Pagoda with Han Qingyu. Han Qingyu had already changed clothes and was now wearing the robes of Inner Sect Disciples. The robes were pure white with intricate designs engraved on the edges. The robes were loose so it wouldn''t be a hindrance when they fight others or in daily activities. The white robes also enhanced her beauty as her flowing silver-white hair blended nicely with the robes and milky white skin. Her silver eyes had a hint of confidence which wascking previously. The pink Lotus flower symbol on her forehead makes her look like an immortal who descended to the mortal world. Xun Shuren looked at Huo Rong first before shifting her gaze to Han Qingyu, "How did she be an Inner Sect disciple already?" She asked Huo Rong as most disciples had to join the outer sect first if they didn''t have anything special about them. Huo Rong looked at her with pride and replied, "I had to ask one of the peak masters toe and check her physique, but we found out that she has a Peak Earthly Physique. She has the potential to be a core disciple here." Xun Shuren raised an eyebrow as she looked at Han Qingyu again, this time observing her more closely. "Looks like you found a gem while traveling outside." She didn''t speak more about it as getting a core disciple was a big matter but not enough to shock everyone. She herself was a core disciple before. "Shen Yuan has passed the first floor already. He has set a new record for clearing the first floor with this speed." Xun Shuren said as she turned around and looked at the Pagoda. Huo Rong''s face lit up with a smile as she giggled happily and hopped to Xun Shuren''s side, "Hehe~ my little brother will surely be able to pass the Pagoda''s trial. If he can''t do it then no one in this world can do it as well." Xun Shuren raised her eyebrow curiously, "You really have a lot of confidence in that young man. Is there something special about him that I can''t see?" "Hehe~ if even you can see through him then what would be special about it?" Huo Rong replied smugly to her. Xun Shuren didn''t get mad and nodded in agreement, "That''s true, if even I can see through him then it wouldn''t be enough to cross the Pagoda." She paused and continued, "I just hope he can pass it, we need someone from this Pagoda to open that secret realm." Huo Rong''s expression also turned serious at the topic of that secret realm. "We shouldn''t discuss that topic here." Huo Rong said in a low voice. Xun Shuren also realized her mistake and shut her mouth. While Han Qingyu looked at the two of them curiously, wondering about what they were discussing. ¡­ Shen Yuan soon reached the second floor of the Pagoda. The whole floor was filled withrge walls one after another, creating a massive maze. Shen Yuan looked up to understand what it was. ''Follow your heart andplete the maze.'' Shen Yuan looked at it for a second before searching around to see if there were any clues. After not finding anything, he left the entrance and entered the maze. He walked for a while inside the maze when he got to an area where the path was divided into two paths. One on the left and another on the right. Shen Yuan looked at them seriously for some time before heading towards the right path. Yue Lan''s voice echoed in his mind, [Why did you go on the right path?] Shen Yuan smiled with confidence and replied, "Because I felt like it." [...] Yue Lan was speechless at his reply. Shen Yuan didn''t mind and continued walking through the maze, turning from one point to another. ¡­ After a while, he saw the light at the end of the tunnel, his face brightened up as heughed, "Hahaha! I said my guy instincts were right!" He increased his pace and walked through the ce where the light wasing from, hisughter echoed through the maze as he entered through the light door. [And here we are¡­] Yue Lan''s voice echoed in his mind. And as soon as Shen Yuan''s eyesnded on his surroundings, hisughter ceased as his face turned ck. [Hahahahahaha you are back on the starting line hahahaha this is too funny haha you were so confident earlier¡­] She continuedughing at Shen Yuan''s confidence from earlier. While Shen Yuan felt his lips twitch as he realized how much of a fool he looked right now. He turned around in anger and headed back into the maze, this time, choosing the left path from the start. Soon he made his way through the maze with more focus, memorizing the ways and solving the route. After some time he saw the exit again, and he sped up to cross it. His eyes widened in excitement as he sprinted across the way. But his excitement died down as he reached the entrance again. He stomped his foot on the ground as he sprinted back inside. ¡­ After repeating this process several times, he finally stopped at the entrance again. He took a deep breath "This isn''t going anywhere, I need to approach the end of the floor soon. And from the looks of it, I won''t be able to do so even if I spend an entire lifetime walking through this." He pondered seriously about his next move. He nced around to see if he could find any hints when his gazended on the task, ''Follow your heart andplete the maze.'' "Heart¡­heart¡­ I see," Shen Yuan muttered as realization dawned on him, "I can use my Dao Heart to find the way. Looks like there are illusions used here to make the trial difficult'' He soon closed his eyes and rxed his posture since there was no ce for him to test his Dao Heart in the outside world. 10 seconds¡­ 20 seconds¡­ 60 seconds¡­ five minutes¡­ After quite some time passed, he opened his eyes with rity and confidence. He exhaled a sigh and started moving forward with a slow pace. He soon reached the area where the two tunnels were located previously. Stay tuned with NovelFire|em|p|yr. Chapter 119: Clearing Pagoda II But Shen Yuan didn''t choose any of them and walked straight towards the wall in the middle. Anyone watching would have expected him to smash into the wall, but something unexpected happened. He went straight into the wall and vanished. After walking through the maze for some time, Shen Yuan opened his eyes at the end of the maze. He smiled lightly and looked back, "So easy yet so tough." He shook his head and ascended the staircase to the higher floor. ¡­ He reached the third floor, it was a vast expense with shelves of weapons on one side and an arena in the middle. Shen Yuan looked at the arena for a bit before moving his gaze to look at the trial of this floor. ''Beat oneself to prove your worthiness.'' Shen Yuan read the trial and nced at the weapons at the side. He realized the trial required him to use the weapons from this floor. He went there and checked out a few weapons like spears, mace, hammers, staff, etc before heading towards the area with swords. He picked up a short sword before cing it back, then he tried a great sword, etc. He finally decided on a long sword for the battle. He went ahead and brought the sword with him towards the arena. [Are you ready to fight yourself, Shen Yuan?] Yue Lan''s voice echoed yfully in his mind. Shen Yuan replied in a serious tone, "Yes, I also want to see how I would fare against myself." [This will be the hardest challenge of your life, or it should be. Don''t be too disappointed, Shen Yuan.] Her yful voice echoed inside his mind, he could already imagine herughing at him. He raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean by disappointment?" He asked but Yue Lan remained silent, he just shook his head as he would find out about it in due time. He went forward and entered the arena, he got teleported to the center of it. He raised his eyebrow in surprise, "Space Laws, I didn''t know there would be spacews used here." Just as he turned his head to look around, a clone of himself materialized in front of him. It was the exact copy of himself that, if anyone else was standing here they won''t even be able to tell them apart. But Shen Yuan noticed that there was something amiss with the clone. His eyes narrowed as he got in position to sh with the clone. The clone mirrored his stance, taking a step forward before sprinting toward him. Shen Yuan also moved forward to sh his sword with the clone''s. BOOM! An explosion happened as the clone was obliterated on the spot. The steps for the higher floor appeared at the corner of the arena but Shen Yuan stood there looking at the ce where the clone was. His eyes remained wide open in shock as he couldn''t believe how easy it was. Just then Yue Lan''s yful voice came into his mind again, [Surprised? Hehe~ I knew this would happen.] Shen Yuan soon calmed down as this wasn''t something that could shake him, "What happened to the clone? Why was it so weak?" Yue Lan''s yfulughter also ceased as she replied in a serious tone, [That''s because the Pagoda couldn''t copy your abilities.] Shen Yuan raised his eyebrow and asked, "Is it because of your interference or the sheer level of my abilities?" [The Pagoda couldn''t copy your Bloodline, Physiques, or Cultivation Technique, that''s why the clone was so weak and it also didn''t copy your sword intent as no one had achieved it at your level in this mortal world, though I''m not sure, there might be some exceptions.] Yue Lan answered him patiently as Shen Yuan understood that his physiques were really something beyond this world. He shook his head in disappointment as he couldn''t get a good fight and continued moving towards the higher floor. ¡­ He soon arrived on the fourth floor. Looking ahead, there was a quiet atmosphere with nothing all around, but a faint pressure lingered in the air. Shen Yuan felt that there was something amiss but he couldn''t pinpoint the issue. He looked at the above to see the trial. "Test of Will." Shen Yuan muttered under his breath as the name was simple yet confusing. He couldn''t see anything on the floor which would test his will. Nheless, he didn''t hesitate and stepped forward. It was a test he would have to face anyway, so why hesitate? As soon as his feet stopped on the trial ground, he felt as if a hammer had struck his sea of consciousness. But he withstood the attack without any effort as his eyes became serious. He looked ahead and saw the pressure bing stronger, "I see, this floor will affect my Sea of consciousness." He spoke as the pressure increased little by little. [This can be a good opportunity to refine your Sea of consciousness. Since you haven''t refined it even a single time, the refinement would help you greatly.] She paused as if she was observing the floor, . [You should first reach the end and look for the ce with the highest pressure and stay there until your Sea of Consciousness bes strong enough to not have any effect on that pressure.] Shen Yuan nodded and took a deep breath before starting to walk on it. He didn''t feel anything in the beginning but soon, it began having an effect on him as he slowed down to adapt to the pressure. The pressure began pressuring his Sea of Consciousness from all sides, leaving it with no choice but to adapt to the pressure. He stood still on the spot for a while, letting the spiritual pressure of the surroundings wash his Sea of Consciousness. He took a deep breath and walked again after getting used to the pressure. Yue Lan stayed silent while observing his Sea of consciousness. It was gradually getting stronger as he continued spending time on this floor. [His will as well as his soul will get stronger if he can take full use of this opportunity. When he breakthroughs to the Nascent Soul stage then he might even form a special attributed soul.] Yue Lan muttered to herself. Meanwhile, Shen Yuan continued walking while stopping every so often. His Sea of Consciousness continued strengthening. After what felt like an eternity, he reached the end of the trial, he was sweating and huffing at this point from all the exhaustion. But he refused to cross the final line to ascend to a higher floor. He sat down at the end of the floor, his eyes burning with determination, as he started meditating while the spiritual pressure strengthened his Sea of Consciousness. ¡­ Time passed as Shen Yuan opened his eyes and exhaled a sigh. He stood up from his meditating stance, brushing off the remaining pressure as if it were nothing more than a summer breeze. His Sea of Consciousness was more refined and solid now. The pressure which was making him sweat before now felt like a mere summer breeze. He nced back onest time behind him and decided to head to the next floor. Chapter 120: Fifth Floor He walked towards the stairs, he felt as if a light weight had been lifted from his body when he passed through the barrier of the floor. ¡­ Upon entering the fifth floor, the atmosphere shifted once again as Shen Yuan felt a feral vibe around him. Shen Yuan looked up at the sign to see what this floor was about, ''Trial of Beast Waves: Eliminate All'' Shen Yuan narrowed his eyes as he read the sign. He didn''t think for a second that the test would be easy even if the only thing he had to do in it was fighting. [Looks like you will finally be able to test your strength against a worthy foe, Shen Yuan.] Yue Lan''s voice echoed as she was also curious to what level Shen Yuan would reach. He smiled and shook his head, "You just want to see me suffer a defeat." Yue Lan''sughter echoed in his mind but she didn''t reply to him. Shen Yuan''s eyes also focused as he brought out his sword from his storage ring. He looked straight ahead and walked towards the grassy ne. The floor this time was a vast expanse of green ins as Shen Yuan knew he wouldn''t have a ce to hide even if he wanted it. He stood still for a moment after entering the barrier, looking around to see how the beast would spawn. And he didn''t have to wait for long as arge gate emerged in front of him. As it opened, the first beast rushed out¨Cthree horned wolf, at the 7th level of the Foundation Establishment realm, the same as Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan wasted no time as he knew this would be a long battle. He swiftly unsheathed his sword and darted towards the wolf. His sword shed as he cleanly sliced the wolf in half with one clean sh. He didn''t even have time to take a breath as 3 more wolves rushed out of the gate. But the relieving thing about them was that their strength hadn''t increased. Shen Yuan swiftly moved towards them and decapitated all three of them at once. "Looks like I won''t be getting much rest," he muttered to himself as his gazended on the multiple doors forming all over the in. "Will all these gates release beasts at once?" He tensed as he didn''t know the level of the beast which would be released from the gates. Before he finished saying his sentence, the ground rumbled again. All five doors opened as four wolves and one panther came out of it, all at the 8th level of the Foundation Establishment realm. Shen Yuan readied himself, "So, each level will increase the difficulty by one minor realm. "He muttered to himself softly. The panther pounced first, slicing through the air with its ws. Shen Yuan raised his sword and shed towards the oing panther, cleanly slicing it in half. The wolves didn''t seem to see anything happen beside them as they also lunged towards Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan didn''t waste time and infused his sword with his Sword Intent and swung his sword in an arc to finish all of the wolves at once. "This floor will waste too much time at this rate¡­" he sighed as he knew he would be stuck here for a long time. ¡­ Back at the base of the tower, Huo Rong, Xun Shuren, and Han Qingyu looked at the Pagoda. Shen Yuan had just ascended to the third floor when Huo Rong smiled yfully, "Shuren, what do you think? How long would Shen Yuan take to defeat his clone?" Xun Shuren thought about it carefully, "He should take at the very least half an hour. Even the fastest cultivator in the history of our sect took 40 minutes. I''m already overestimating him with this number." Huo Rong''s eyes shed with surprise as she took a closer look at Xun Shuren, "I will tell you in advance but Shen Yuan is off-limits. You better keep your hands to yourself." She said seriously as if Xun Shuren would take a bite out of Shen Yuan as soon as he exited the tower. Xun Shuren felt her hand twitch as she resisted an urge to unsheathe her sword. "You know that''s not what I meant. I''m serious here." Huo Rong giggled lightly, "Hehe~ I know wha-" Before she even finished her sentence, the fourth floor lit up, signaling Shen Yuan''s sessful climb to it. Huo Rong and Xun Shuren''s eyes widened in surprise. "No way!" Huo Rong even shouted out loud as she couldn''t believe Shen Yuan took not even a few minutes toplete it. Xun Shuren''s eyes also trembled visibly as this event truly shook her. "How did he even do it?" She muttered to herself in shock. Han Qingyu, who didn''t know the significance behind Shen Yuan''s achievement also realized that it was truly something big looking at the reaction of Huo Rong and Xun Shuren. "Hepleted the whole floor in under two minutes, and that''s even with the time it took to choose a weapon, so that means he defeated his clone in under a minute." Huo Rong couldn''t believe what she was saying herself. Xun Shuren also nodded heavily, "Where did you even find this monster?" She couldn''t help herself as this was truly something unprecedented that happened here. They continued chatting for some time until Xun Shuren mentioned, "It''s been quite some time on this floor for Shen Yuan, don''t tell me his Sea of Consciousness couldn''t withstand the pressure of the fourth floor?" Huo Rong quickly interjected, "Don''t spout nonsense, how can this floor stop Shen Yuan when he cleared the previous one in merely two minutes. Xun Shuren also felt what Huo Rong said had some truth in it, so she also stopped talking and focused on the floor. ¡­ Some time passed again as Xun Shuren''s eyes filled with doubts, "Are you sure he is alright? It shouldn''t have taken him this long." Huo Rong''s faith in Shen Yuan didn''t waver a bit as she replied with full confidence, "Just wait a bit more, why are you so impatient? People before Shen Yuan took way longer to cross this floor." Xun Shuren still had some doubts but decided to wait a bit more. ¡­ "Huo Rong, are you sure he is alright?" Xun Shuren''s voice was now full of doubts as Shen Yuan had already been inside the Pagoda for as long as others took time. Huo Rong''s confidence also wavered a bit, but she still insisted, "No, he is absolutely fine inside. Maybe he is busy tempering himself inside in the sea of spiritual energy. Yes, that must be it." Her eyes lit up as if she had finally found a straw to catch on after suffering all day. Xun Shuren was dumbfounded hearing this absurd exnation. Average cultivators would find it hard to even breathe in that pressure. Even geniuses would run to cross the hurdle faster. But she didn''t say anything else and continued waiting. ¡­ "Do you think he is alright even now?" Xun Shuren just asked with a questioning tone when the time exceeded even the slowest to cross the 4th-floor trial of the Pagoda. Chapter 121: Ascending to Sixth Floor Huo Rong begins, her voice rather weak, "He should be fine ins-" Before she finished speaking, the sixth floor lit up, marking Shen Yuan''s sessful ascension to a higher floor. Huo Rong''s eyes lit up in surprise and happiness as she jumped up, screaming, "See!! I told you he will pass it soon!" Xun Shuren''s eyes also sparkled in surprise as she muttered, "Finally." Han Qingyu also smiled happily observing Shen Yuan''s sessful ascension. "Which floor can the disciples of Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect climb?" She asked what was on her mind as she also wanted to climb it." Huo Rong, who was in a good mood replied, "The average disciple of our Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect can''t pass the first floor, the inner disciple can go to the second floor and the core disciples can go up to the third floor." She paused as her voice turned serious, "Only exceptional disciples among those can reach the fourth floor." Han Qingyu''s eyes widened in surprise as she didn''t know the significance behind Shen Yuan''s fear before, but now that she had something topare it with, she thought Shen Yuan''s feats were no ordinary thing. "Has no one reached the higher floors?" Han Qingyu asked as she didn''t think that anyone had reached the higher floors before. Huo Rong nodded her head and continued, "Of course, quite a few disciples throughout history have reached the fifth floor, but the number of those who reached the sixth floor can be counted on one hand." She paused as she let Han Qingyu digest her voice before continuing, "But no one since the foundation of our sect has reached the final floor, we don''t even have any idea what the trial for that floor is." Han Qingyu absorbed the knowledge like a sponge absorbing water, she nodded her head, "It''s truly remarkable that Shen Yuan was able to reach the fifth floor already, I wonder what the trial will be?" They continued chatting as there was nothing to do outside of the Pagoda besides chatting. ¡­ Shen Yuan, who had just finished killing off another wave of beasts, shed his sword down to clean off the blood from it. His eyes glowed red from the frenzy. There were beast carcasses lying all over the ce, making it a horrifying sight to behold. Beasts as small as insects to asrge as small mountains were lying down all around as their blood flowed like rivers. Even Shen Yuan''s basic swords changed color to red after absorbing so much blood. He raised his sword and nced at it for a bit, "You are quite bloodthirsty huh. Alright, I shall name you ''Crimson Devourer'' Hmm a fitting name for a bloodthirsty sword like you." Shen Yuan smiled happily as if he achieved something even greater than killing so many beasts all around him, after all his emotions didn''t even fluctuate after killing so many of them, yet he smiled happily after giving his sword a name. Shen Yuan got this sword as his 16th birthday gift from Shen Yuxin, it wasn''t a world-destroying or heaven-defying treasure, it was brought by Shen Yuxin for Shen Yuan''s training. But Shen Yuan particrly liked this sword so he used it the most, and after the recent battles and finally this massacre, the sword changed color as it seemed like it was going for an evolution. It was a Low-grade Tier 2 weapon. But itcked materials and a good craftsman to make it into a fine Tier 3 sword. "I will take care of you after leaving this Pagoda, for now, we shall continue this ughter." He said as he swung the sword and decapitated another giant serpent that lunged at him. Shen Yuan calmed down from his frenzy and finally swept his gaze around, "Fuck! How many are there going to be!? The beasts are already at the 3rd level of Extreme Origin Core Realm! I don''t even remember how many hundreds I have in so far." Just then another wake of the beast came out of the gates, and hundreds of beasts, all at the 5th level of Extreme Origin Core Realm came out. Shen Yuan''s eyes turned red in anger after having to waste so much time on this floor, "Fuck! Juste at me! All of you! It''s already been fucking weeks since I have been fighting!" Hepletely lost it and used his ultimate attack, "Heaven and Earth Severance: Second Form- Tempest Slicing" He swung his sword horizontally as the muscles on both of his hands exploded into a cloud of blood, but the energy released from the sh also obliterated all the beasts that came out of the doors this time, together with a lot of carcasses from around the area. Shen Yuan huffed as he saw all the gates disappearing, "Haah¡­haah¡­" he took deep breaths and sat down on the ground in a meditative stance to recover some energy, ''Fuck! I forgot my body is too weak to unleash the second form currently.'' he thought as he felt stupid for losing control. After recovering a bit of his stamina, he took a healing pill from his storage ring and started recuperating. ¡­ Shen Yuan opened his eyes after a while, all his injuries had already healed as if he had never been injured before. He looked ahead where the stairs were shing, almost as if about to vanish. Shen Yuan''s eyes widened as he hurriedly ran toward the stairs, ascending to a higher floor. "Haah¡­ I made it." Shen Yuan said as he nced back at the disappearing stairs, wondering if he would be teleported outside of the Pagoda. "I didn''t know a timer existed for this floor, I think the Pagoda owner knew people would rest after finishing the floor so he made it that way," he said while thinking about why such a mechanism exists. He soon shook his head as thinking that it wouldn''t be useful, he gazed forward to see how the sixth floor looked. And what came in front of him was a majestic monolith standing in the center of the room. Shen Yuan felt as if he could see the 3000ws in this monolith. He swept his gaze above to see the trial, ''Enlighten oneself.'' Shen Yuan muttered the name to himself as he took a deep breath, stabilizing his mood as he stepped forward to reach the monolith. He took out a mat and ced it on the ground, sitting down on top of the mat, he pondered what toprehend. "Should Iprehend sword intent? But I''m already at the first level of that, and it would be hard to achieve the second level of Sword Intent in a short time." He began thinking to himself as to what he should choose. "Hmm¡­let''s go with Saber Dao, I''m closer toprehending the Saber Intent after all." He finished deciding what toprehend and threw out all the distracting thoughts from inside his mind. He took a deep breath and brought out a saber from inside his storage ring, cing it in hisp as he looked at the monolith for a moment before he began deriving his saber techniques, also learning the new ones that he had umted during his journey. Chapter 122: Final Floor He bought all types of techniques during his travel through various cities, no matter whether they were the lowest tier basic techniques or the highest tier avable for buying publicly, he bought them all. ¡­ After what felt like an eternity passed, Shen Yuan opened his eyes, which shed with such sharpness that it could cut through reality itself. He took a deep breath and dispersed the intent from his surroundings, making everything return to calm once more. "Haah," he sighed, "I didn''t think I wouldprehend the second level of Saber intent identally, now my sword intent is behind." Shen Yuan said as if he lost something. But if someone else heard him say this, they would feel an urge to p his shameless mouth. He looked up to see the monolith still standing as if it would pierce the heaven, "How good it would be if I could take it from here, Mom, Sister Bing, Sister Huo, and Qingyu can learn from it as well." He sighed and stood up, "This floor was¡­underwhelming, this might be the easiest floor up until now. Just sit down and get up to leave." If only he knew how many people had tried to pass this floor to no avail, after all, learning and intent at his level is already exceptional that virtually no one throughout the history of the world has done it. But since he didn''t know much about the history of this world, he just shrugged his shoulders and began to ascend to a higher floor. ¡­ Outside, Huo Rong and Xun Shuren''s eyes lit up as they saw Shen Yuan ascending to the sixth floor. Xun Shuren muttered, "He withstood the beast waves. Now, even if he can''t clear the sixth floor, he is already exceptional enough to be a core disciple in any of the Divine Sects of Eastern Deste Region, I doubt anyone would be blind enough to reject him." Huo Rong confidently replied, "Don''t worry about that, he will clear the Pagoda for sure. You just have to wait a bit more." Han Qingyu also looked at the pagoda, wondering how much time Shen Yuan would take to finish it. ¡­ "This floor is taking quite long huh." Han Qingyu spoke as she looked at how much time had passed. Huo Rong replied to her, "It''s because you have to use yourprehension to pass the trial. The others took days only to fail in the end. Shen Yuan hasn''t even taken a full day fo-" Before she could finish, the seventh floor of the pagoda lit up, marking the sessful ascension of Shen Yuan to a higher floor. Xun Shuren and Huo Rong''s eyes widened in shock. They couldn''t believe that Shen Yuan actually passed the sixth floor. Even Huo Rong, who had full confidence in Shen Yuan couldn''t believe this as it was truly unprecedented. He became the first cultivator throughout history to have passed the floor. The only reason others couldn''t pass the level was due to the strict requirements of the sixth floor. Normally, a cultivator will get a minor understanding of an intent at the Extreme Origin Core realm. And they will reach the half-step 1st level intent at Dao Core Forming Realm. Only geniuses can learn and intent at Dao Core Forming Realm. As for the Extreme Origin Core realm, no one has heard of someone who has managed toprehend an intent at that level. Whereas, Shen Yuan mastered not only the first level but also the second level of Saber Intent at the Foundation Establishment realm. If someone knew about his monstrousprehension talent, they might want to refine him into a pill to nourish themselves even if it would be useless. Xun Shuren shuddered, "H-Hu-Huo R-Rong, pinch me, I need to see if I''m dreaming." Huo Rong snapped out of her daze as she heard Xun Shuren''s muttering, but she still didn''t move as she found all this too unbelievable. Han Qingyu, who didn''t know the significant meaning of this feat even after being told, wasn''t affected much as she patted Huo Rong''s shoulder and asked, "Are you alright Sister Huo?" Huo Rong took a deep breath as she calmed down, but she didn''t forget what Xun Shuren asked for as she pinched her butt. Xun Shuren''s eyes widened in surprise as she leaped away from Huo Rong, her face red, as she yelled, "I didn''t ask you to pinch my butt you-" "Now now, calm down, I only did this to get you out of your daze." Huo Rong happily giggled as she was in an exceptional mood. Shen Yuan actually passed the floor which no one throughout history had managed to pass. Xun Shuren decided to ignore Huo Rong as she had more important things to worry about now. "You stay here, Huo Rong. I will bring this news to various peak masters." She said to Huo Rong while turning around to leave. But Huo Rong interjected saying, "You don''t need to leave for now, let''s wait until Shen Yuanes out so we can go together to greet the various peak masters, but too bad he already belongs to our peak." She had a proud smile on her face when she mentioned this topic, after all, her peak would gain a new core disciple after this trial. Xun Shuren stopped in her tracks as she also wanted to see what was on the 7th floor of the Pagoda. And the Peak Masters aren''t going anywhere. She came beside Huo Rong again as they began discussing Shen Yuan''s feat of surpassing the 6th floor and what could possibly be on the 7th floor of the Pagoda. Han Qingyu silently listened to them as these details were not something that normal sect disciples could listen to, but due to her special connection with Shen Yuan, Huo Rong allowed her to stay there. ¡­ Shen Yuan soon ascended to the 7th floor as what came in his view was boundless darkness with only a single mat being ced at the center of the room. He could still see it as it was giving a gentle glow in the depressingly dark room. Shen Yuan frowned his brows as he had a bad feeling about this floor. He looked up to see the trial, "Dao Heart." It was a simple title for a trial but that alone made Shen Yuan''s heart shudder as his bad feeling increasingly grew. He took a deep breath to calm down, "Yue Lan, why am I having a bad feeling suddenly?" [...You should go ahead and go through this trial. This will be the hardest trial of your life but the rewards will be truly beyond your imagination.] Her voicecked her usual yfulness as she spoke with a heavy tone. And Shen Yuan could tell that the trial was no joke. Shen Yuan gazed around the dark, empty room. The single mat at the center was the only thing inside the room as it emitted an eerie aura. He took another deep breath as he steeled his mind to what was about toe. He stepped forward, slowly moving towards the mat. Each of his steps echoed inside the dark room, making the atmosphere even more eerie. Chapter 123: Dao Heart Shen Yuan soon reached the mat, standing still and thinking about what to do next. He knew hesitation would be useless no matter for how long he would drag it out. He sat down on the mat in Lotus position, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. The moment his eyes fully closed, the darkness around him stirred as it slowly inched its way closer to Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan could feel something trying to infiltrate his soul, but he was powerless to do anything about it as even Yue Lan or his bloodline wasn''t reacting. So he calmed down and silently started meditating. Soon, his consciousness began to skip away as the darkness engulfed his body. The eerie void faded, reced by a familiar scene that warmed his heart. He found himself standing in front of a familiar house. His heart skipped a beat as he heard the voices of his mother Zhen Yi, and his sister Shen Yuechaning from inside the house. Without thinking for even a second longer, he stepped forward to reach the door of his house. He opened the gate and came inside to be greeted with the familiar sight of his mother cooking food while humming a tune softly and his sister watching TV. The interior of the house was the same as he remembered from all those years ago. "Brother! You are back." Shen Yuechan''s cheerful voice sounded from the table as she ran up to him, hugging him tightly. "Mother made your favorite food today." She happily told him as she led him forward. Shen Yuan blinked, momentarily stunned as he didn''t know what was happening around him. Everything felt so real, so vivid that he was having a hard time verifying if this was the trial I or if he was just having a really long dream. He looked around, not missing a detail, "is this real?" He muttered under his breath as his eyes scanned for even a minor w. Shen Yuechan tilted her head and asked, "Did you say something, big bro?" Shen Yuan came out of his thoughts and replied with a gentle tone, "Ah I didn''t say anything." Just then Zhen Yi''s voice sounded from the kitchen, "Ready the tes kids, food ising." She brought out a table full of food as she looked at Shen Yuan and Shen Yuechan. "Go and wash your hands before you sit down." She started setting up the table while Shen Yuechan dragged Shen Yuan to wash his hands. They soon came out of the washroom after washing their hands. Shen Yuan sat on the table while Shen Yuechan sat on his right. Zhen Yi also came and sat down together with them, "Let''s eat." she gently spoke. Shen Yuan and Shen Yuechan nodded and started eating. As soon as Shen Yuan took the first bite, his eyes became misty as he really missed the taste of her mother''s cooking. He continued eating without stopping until he had finished everything. Shen Yuechan and Zhen Yi didn''t find anything amiss in it as they also soon finished their food. Days continued passing like this as Shen Yuan lived his lifefortably, going to college then doing part-time jobs, thening home and eating and ying with Zhen Yi and Shen Yuechan. He seemed like he almost forgot for what purpose he came here. All of his memories about the cultivation world started bing blurry. One day, as Shen Yuan was returning home after work, he saw her¨Chis childhood friend, Yin Yue. She smiled at Shen Yuan after seeing him walk towards her, her eyes filled with warmth and affection. "Yuan, have you finished your work? Do you mind going with me for a walk if you are free now" she asked, her voice soft like the moonlight. Shen Yuan looked at her for a second before agreeing, he followed her down the familiar path of the city until they left it and came to a riverside. They walked side by sidefortably, basking in the sunlight until she stopped and stared at Shen Yuan, "Yuan, do you ever feel like this is where you belong? A simple, peaceful life with your family and those you love?" Shen Yuan smiled and just as he was about to agree, something tugged on his heart as he paused, his eyes gaining slight rity before they got clouded with the vibrant color of this world, "Yes, I am content with this life." He smiled gently toward her, making Yin Yue smile brightly as well. They continued walking together in the evening sun as they held hands together and went back towards their home. Life continued to pass peacefully for him as he soon got a job inside a majorpany. Shen Yuan soon married Yin Yue after that, they lived a quiet blissful life together, surrounded by his family. He continued enjoying his days like this until one day, he woke up from his sleep and stood up, he went to the window to look out. Yin Yue, dressed in her light pink lingerie, woke up as well. She smiled gently looking at Shen Yuan as she also came close to the window. Shen Yuan turned around to look at the beautiful sight of her, he brought her close and hugged her as he murmured in a soft voice, "Time for me to leave hase." Yin Yue rested her head on his chest and asked in a soft voice, "When did you realize?" Shen Yuan smiled lightly and caressed her back, "When you asked me about what type of life I wanted all those years ago. I just wanted to experience this dream for longer." Yin Yue shook her head and berated him in a soft tone, "You idiot! Do you even have any idea how dangerous this was? If you be fully immersed in this reality, you won''t be able to leave, no matter what happens." Shen Yuan smiled gently and caressed her cheek, "What can I say? I really don''t want to leave you, Mom, and little sis behind, this is really a hard decision. I have been trying to leave the illusion for decades but couldn''t do it each time due to my reluctance to part with you all." Yin Yue smiled brightly and asked, "Then, are you willing to stay behind in this dream with me for an eternity?" Shen Yuan''s eyes showed a hint of struggle for a brief moment before they regained rity as he shook his head with a slight smile, "This Pagoda is really something, it even managed to copy nearly all of your personality. I really don''t want to leave this dream, but some things need to be done sigh." Before Yin Yue could reply, the world around them started crumbling and Yin Yue gently left his embrace as she smiled brightly at him and said in a soft voice "Don''t forget me." Even the crumbling of the world itself paused for a second as she spoke, making Shen Yuan look at her in a daze but he soon returned to himself as he smiled gently. In the end, this was thest thing she said before the world crumbled down all around him. Chapter 124: Dao Heart II Shen Yuan, still standing as if he was hugging her, sighed lightly and shook his head, "I nearly forgot about you," he paused reflecting on himself for a moment before his eyes gained rity, "But now that I remember you, thanks to this Pagoda, I would make sure to give you a visit at least." He promised to himself as he closed his eyes waiting for the trial to end. He became engulfed in darkness once again. When the darkness cleared, Shen Yuan opened his eyes, after clearing the trial he entered the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect as a core disciple. Soon, he got intimate with Huo Rong and they consummated their rtionship. They happily spend their time together while Shen Yuan cultivated, reaching the Extreme Origin Core Realm. In the meantime Bing Rong and Shen Yuxin also came out of the seclusion, getting much stronger than before. Han Qingyu also joined Shen Yuan''s harem after some time. He cultivated inside the sect while making some preparations for the future. He fought with other sects duringpetitions and tournaments, getting the top spot each time which aroused the jealousy and envy of other sects. They banded together to fight against the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect but Shen Yuan revealed his cultivation base of the Nascent Soul realm and fought with the ancestors in the Law Forging Realm. He won against them and started his conquest of the Eastern Deste Region, while his harem supported him fully throughout his conquest. They didn''t care if they would end up being the world''s enemy, all they cared about was Shen Yuan. Soon, time passed as he got control over the entire Eastern Deste Region, but the Central Deste Region got wind of this news as they sent their messengers to inform Shen Yuan to either join their sect as a disciple or face their wrath. Enraged, Shen Yuan issued a war notice to the entire Central Deste Region, marking his conquest there as well. The mighty cultivators of the Central Deste Region thought that they can handle a mere junior easily, but to their shock, Shen Yuan revealed a cultivation base of the Law Forging Soul realm. He not only single-handedly drafted all the sect masters but also fought with many elders and Grand Elders of those sects and ns. Shen Yuxin massacred all the ancestors of the Central Deste Region alone. After a long bloody battle, Shen Yuan Finally ascended to the throne of the Deste Continent, bing its absolute ruler. He spent his days leisurely apanying his family and governing the Deste Continent. Forgetting all about his initial aspirations. ¡­ One day, Shen Yuxin asked Shen Yuan all of a sudden, "Are you content with your life Yuan''er?" Shen Yuan gently replied, "Of course I am content, I have everything that I wanted, wealth, authority, my family, my friends." Shen Yuxin silently stared at him for a bit before asking, "Is this truly what you want?" Shen Yuan looked at her in confusion as he replied, "What do you mean? This is what I always wan-" Before he could finish his sentence, his eyes regained a bit of rity, he paused as he processed his thoughts. Shen Yuxin continued gently staring at him, looking as if she would stay that way even if the world was destroyed. Shen Yuan sighed lightly as he came out of his thoughts, he looked at Shen Yuxin with a smile, "You are right, this is not what I truly want. And I can''t stay here forever, you are waiting for me after all." Shen Yuxin smiled brightly,ing forward to hug him, "But you already have everything you want in this world. Do you want to leave me, Huo Rong, Bing Rong, Han Qingyu, and the others behind?" Her eyes filled with sadness as she questioned Shen Yuan. For a moment, Shen Yuan''s resolve wavered as he looked into her sad eyes. ''What if this was enough? What if staying here, with the people he loved, could bring him the peace he had always longed for?'' Questions like these popped up in his mind, but deep down, he knew that this world, no matter how vivid, could never rece the truth waiting for him. He looked at her for a second, staring straight into her eyes, "I have to leave, you guys are not the only ones waiting for me. I have another family whom I need to meet at all costs, even if I have to rend this whole mortal world for that." His words filled with his strong conviction as the world around him started to crumble, Shen Yuxin gently left his embrace saying, "Don''t forget your true self in this trial Yuan''er. You need to go much further on this path if you truly want to seed." Before Shen Yuan could reply, Shen Yuxin turned into dust and the whole world started crumbling faster. Shen Yuan stayed still, his mind finally at peace, as the illusion dissolved like dust in the wind, leaving him standing alone amidst the crumbling remains of a world that was never truly his. In that instance, he could feel something changing inside of him as if a crucial part of his soul was going through metamorphosis. But before he could pinpoint the change, the worldpletely shattered. Making Shen Yuan close his eyes as he didn''t know what next would be. ¡­ Soon, another life began. This time, he was a schr, renowned for his wisdom across the Aurora Zone. Living in a grand estate of an empire and serving as its military advisor. He had hundreds of students seeking guidance under him, and even noble households had to be polite in front of him. He started this life as a man from humble origins, but he was always interested in the weirdest of things as he studied by himself when he was young. Later some teacher found him and enrolled him in the local academy of their city, where he performed the best and got transferred to the Imperial Academy, where he signed even brighter. He soon became a king''s advisor as his life reached a peak. But Shen Yuan didn''t even entertain the idea of this being a reality as each fiber of his being rejected the idea of being mediocre or weak. "This was never one of my aspirations, but the knowledge of a schr is indeed helpful, a pity that I can''t learn anything new in this trial." He shook his head in pity as his eyes coldly swept the ce making everything crumble once again. ¡­ Life after life, reality after reality, Shen Yuan lived countless lives, some filled with love, some with power, some with endless conflict, and others with betrayal. Yet none of them managed to bring down Shen Yuan''s conviction towards his path, instead, they only elerated his metamorphosis which was happening inside his soul. After shattering the 81st illusion, he once again found himself before the eternal darkness. His mind was clear of everything yet burdened by the lives he had to live through. Each life offered him something valuable, even if it was from betrayal or love, yet each time, he didn''t fall for the temptation of false reality and chose to leave it in pursuit of something far greater. Chapter 125: Finishing Trials The void around him rippled as for the very first time Shen Yuan felt someone observing him in the Pagoda, something ancient and primordial. It was not hostile, nor was it benevolent. It simply was, and it seemed to be measuring Shen Yuan''s soul. He steadied his breath as he stood straight, knowing that the final part of the trial was remaining. The darkness parted like someone lifted a veil, revealing a vast, barrenndscape in front of him. Towering mountains stood tall all over thendscape as their peaks reached the sky. At the center of it all was a giant lotus, glowing faintly in the distance. Its petals were pure white, with a golden hue as if they held the very essence of light and purity within them. This was no illusion. Shen Yuan instinctively knew that this was the final part of the Dao Heart trial. He could feel his connection with this lotus flower, it was the reason for his misery in various lives, and this flower made him see those illusions. Yue Lan''s voice echoed in his mind, [I never expected to see this thing in a mortal world. Shen Yuan, this final trial¡­it will demand more than just strength or intent. It will test the very essence of your soul, be prepared.] She didn''t exin what the lotus was but still cautioned him. Shen Yuan took a deep breath, his eyes remained focused on the Lotus flower. After deliberating for a second, he started walking towards the lotus flower. Every footfall felt like it carried the weight of mountains, and the ground beneath him trembled as if resisting the intrusion of Shen Yuan in its holy ce. The closer he got to the lotus, the more oppressive the atmosphere became. His surroundings grew darker, and he could feel a biting cold wind at the back of his head. Shen Yuan''s heartbeat slowed, and for the first time in a while, he felt a little doubt. ''Why do you fight so hard?'' a voice whispered in the back of his mind, ancient and distant. ''is power truly worth the sacrifice? Is the path of cultivation all you seek?'' Shen Yuan stopped in his tracks. The question echoed deep into his soul, touching the parts that he had long buried under the pressure of growing stronger faster so he could return home. Memories of his life before cultivation¡ªhis time spent together with his mother, his sister, Yin Yue flooded his mind. A peaceful life. A simple life. Yet why wasn''t that enough? But Shen Yuan clenched his fist, taking a deep breath. "My pursuit is not about power. It''s about freedom. The freedom to choose my path, to protect those I love, and to kill those whom I hate. To live without fear of being controlled or crushed by those stronger than me, that is my pursuit." The archaic voice seemed to him in response, and the weight pressuring down on him grew lighter as if acknowledging his answer. He continued forward, soon reaching the base of the lotus flower. Its petals wererger than mountains as if they could bear the weight of life itself. The giant golden flor illuminated the area around it, casting soft shadows all around. Shen Yuan could feel the immense energy being emitted from the lotus flower, it was pure and ancient. Without thinking further, he reached out, his fingers lightly brushing the tip of the closet Petal. The moment he made contact, a surge of energy shot through him. His mind exploded with visions¡ªcountless lives, countless possibilities, all swirling in a maelstrom of chaos. He saw himself as a ruler of worlds, as a simple farmer, as a warrior standing at the gates of Heaven, and as a lone wanderer traversing destends. Each vision presented a different path, a different life. Some were filled with glory and triumph, others with sorrow and defeat. But in every vision, one thing remained constant¡ªhis soul, unyielding, determined to carve out its own fate. Yet the next second everything vanished from his mind, as if those visions never existed, he didn''t even have enough time to think about them as the petals began closing around him. Enveloping Shen Yuan in its soft, glowing petals. Everything turned silent all of a sudden, the dark eerie feeling also vanished as only peace remained. After a moment of silence, the deep, ancient voice echoed once more, ''You seek the path of the free, but freedom demands sacrifice. To truly walk your path, you must give up the illusions of safety, offort. Only then can you find your true self.'' Shen Yuan''s breathing slowed as heprehended the meaning behind those words. This was it¨Cthe true trial. The illusions he had faced were not just to test his resolve, but to see if he was willing to abandon his fantasies of absolute power, false love, peaceful life, etc for something more harsh, something more real. But before Shen Yuan could reply, the deep voice echoed again, ''The path you have chosen is not a simple one. You can only walk forward on it, if you decide to settle down or stop moving forward, then you will lose your meaning in life and be something like you saw in your illusion. Mere shells of your former glorious self.'' Shen Yuan took a deep breath as he finally decided upon his answer, which was already set in stone since he cleared those illusions. "I ept," Shen Yuan said softly, but his voice filled with an unbreakable conviction, "I have already decided on my path, and I shall not waver no matter what I face. But this doesn''t mean that I won''t pursue other paths, I won''t restrict myself to a single path, I will do whatever I want.'' As soon as these words left his mouth, the ancient voice''s deepughter echoed, ''Hahaha, that''s what it means to be free. To not be shackled by anything and to do as one wishes. You have my blessings on the path of cultivation young man, you can take my Pagoda with you, it has my entire inheritance. This was the deal I made with that little girl, to find me a worthy inheritor. I am the Pagoda Bearing Monarch, remember my name, young man.'' The voice went further away as if the Monarch was walking away. Before Shen Yuan could even say his goodbyes to him, the lotus flower surrounding him started glowing as it released Shen Yuan from inside of itself. It started getting smaller and smaller until it was only the size of a regr lotus flower, but it''s beauty didn''t diminish in the slightest as it only increased. Shen Yuan looked at it curiously, wondering what was happening with it, but before he could figure it out, the lotus rushed towards his head and entered his Sea of Consciousness. Taking root deep within it. Shen Yuan''s eyes widened in surprise as he couldn''t even put up a defense in front of it before it infiltrated his Sea of Consciousness. But before he freaked out, the lotus started releasing a small amount of energy which will be nourishing his Sea of Consciousness, making it stronger passively. Though the effect wasn''t apparent, in the long run, it would be massively helpful. Chapter 126: Leaving Pagoda But before he freaked out, the lotus started releasing a small amount of energy, nourishing his Sea of Consciousness, making it stronger passively. Though the effect wasn''t apparent, in the long run, it would be massively helpful. Shen Yuan calmed down and closed his eyes to feel the changes inside of him. His Sea of Consciousness was constantly getting nourished by the lotus flower. He opened his eyes, which were filled with amazement as he muttered to himself, "This lotus¡­it''s fortifying my Sea of Consciousness passively. Even if the enhancement is minor, it will stack up until it will transform my soul qualitatively." The air around him seems clearer after having the lotus in his Sea of Consciousness, even his thoughts became clearer as he felt hisprehension level increasing. He knew it wasn''t a one-time boost as the lotus had taken root inside of his Sea of Consciousness. Just as he was about to rise from his lotus position, a faint glow appeared in front of him. It slowly formed into the shape of a small pagoda¨Cminiature yet intricately detailed, with ancient symbols etched into each of its levels. It was the very Pagoda that he had been inside of during his trials, but now it was resting on his palm in a miniature form. "This¡­is the reward for clearing the trials?", Shen Yuan whispered as he extended his hand forward, allowing the Pagoda to gently float above his palm. A voice echoed inside the Pagoda, the same ancient voice that talked with him before, "This is my inheritance, it holds all the knowledge, technique, and treasures that I have collected throughout my life. Use it wisely, as it shall help you in your path towards achieving true freedom." Shen Yuan nodded his head heavily, not underestimating the weight of Pagoda Bearing Monarch inheritance. He had already made up his mind about what path to take, and this inheritance will only help him achieve his goals. He took a deep breath and began the preparation to refine the Pagoda, he infused his blood essence into the miniature pagoda, and using his qi he started the refining process. ''With this treasure alone, I should be able to create a sect of myself. Or even make a small elite force.'' he wondered to himself while refining the Pagoda [You won''t be able to refine itpletely at your level, it''s grade is higher than the mansion your mom gifted you. Put it in your dantian after forming a connection with it.] Yue Lan, who had been silent all this while, finally spoke up as her voice echoed inside his brain. Shen Yuan nodded, he closed his eyes and continued refining the Pagoda. ¡­ Soon after some time passed, Shen Yuan opened his eyes, looking at the Pagoda it felt much more familiar than before, as if it was a closepanion. He smiled lightly and took onest look at the miniature pagoda before letting it go so it can merge back into the Pagoda. He exhaled as he stood up. "Haah¡­ feels like forever since I left this Pagoda." He said while ncing around the Pagoda, looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar sight. He noticed formations engraved all over the seventh floor, making him curious as he took a closer look, "What are these formations?" [This is the formation that utilized the power of the Soul Nurturing Lotus to give you a Dao Heart trial. But since you took away the Soul Nurturing Flower, it lost the majority of its effect, not it can barely show one life in the trial, which paled inparison to what you had to go through.] Her voice held a hint of admiration as she praised Shen Yuan''s indomitable Dao Heart. Shen Yuan smiled softly receiving her praise and asked another question that was bothering him, "What about the transformation I felt in my soul? It felt as if an essential part of me had changed, but I can''t pinpoint it." Yue Lan''s admiration-filled voice echoed inside his mind, [That is the transformation of the Dao Heart. The Dao Heart is one of the core things required to progress further in cultivation after one point. Most cultivators go through their Dao Heart transformation after the Tribtion Transcendent Realm, after having lived for thousands of years and withstanding major storms in life.] She paused, materializing in front of him before pointing her paw at him and continued, [On the other hand, you¡­ you managed to achieve that feat in the freaking Foundation Establishment realm, even though the Pagoda and the Soul Nurturing Lotus helped you greatly, but without your own Indomitable Will, they would have only crushed you instead.] She finished praising him as Shen Yuan continued looking at her silently, he knew she had more to say. Yue Lan didn''t wait for long as she continued saying, [Your Dao Heart was not this strong when you started the Dao Heart trial, it has be progressively stronger as you underwent numerous lives, some of them nearly breaking your Dao Heart, but you preserved and grew stronger from them. You really are something else.] She finished speaking her mind as Shen Yuan also epted herpliment with a slight smile. "It wasn''t easy to withstand the test of time, some lives were filled with happiness, making me not want to leave them. Yet there were also lives filled with misery, where i ran like a dog to survive, where my closest friends and family betrayed me. I just wanted to die in those lives, but I preserved. Sigh, let''s not talk about the depressing stuff any longer." He finished speaking as he used his pagoda''s formations to teleport himself to the first level. The pressure vanished as soon as he came inside the first level. Shen Yuan smiled lightly looking at how the pagoda was treating him, he walked towards the exit as the gates soon opened. Outside, Huo Rong, Xun Shuren, and Han Qingyu were waiting with eyes flickering with pride, shock, and awe respectively. Even though Huo Rong had full confidence in Shen Yuan being able to pass the Pagoda, she was still surprised when he actually managed to pass through it. While Xun Shuren waspletely shocked that someone managed to pass the Pagoda Trial. But she was also suspicious whether he truly passed the trial or just gave up on thest one and came out. Han Qingyu''s thinking was much simpler since no one managed to do it in hundreds of thousands of years while Shen Yuan did it on his first try, this made him admire Shen Yuan even more. Huo Rong and Han Qingyu moved towards Shen Yuan quickly, as if they couldn''t wait to meet with him. But Huo Rong paused slightly after getting closer to Shen Yuan as she realized that something was off about him. But she couldn''t pinpoint what it was. Shen Yuan smiled gently looking at the slightly stunned Huo Rong and the happy Han Qingyu, he pulled both of them with their hands. They both got into his embrace and he hugged them tightly while whispering, "I miss you both." Han Qingyu blushed as she smelled Shen Yuan''s scent, feeling intoxicated with him even more. Chapter 127: Entering the Sect While Huo Rong''s mind was on something else, she hugged him back and put her head on his shoulder while asking him via the Harem Connect feature of the system. "Are you alright, Yuan''er? What happened inside the Pagoda?" She asked in a slightly worried voice as Shen Yuan had been inside of the Pagoda for only a few days, it wasn''t enough for him to miss them this much. Shen Yuan didn''t respond immediately as he indulged in their fragrance for a bit, his body rxedpletely in their embrace. "I will exinter, for now, we need to see the reaction of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect when their Ancestral Pagoda vanishes." He gently left their embrace as he nced towards Xun Shuren standing in the distance, he gave her a slight smile. He could see the suspicion she had towards him but he didn''t mind it and waved his hand towards the Pagoda to store it in his dantian. The Pagoda started shaking slightly, dropping all the dust and leaves it had gathered over hundreds of thousands of years. It started shrinking, making all threedies on the spot widen their eyes in shock. Xun Shuren was the most shocked as she couldn''t believe that Shen Yuan not onlypleted the trial but also got the Pagoda itself as a reward. She wanted to stop him but couldn''te up with a valid reason. Shen Yuan didn''t stop even after looking at her hesitation as he exerted his will and the Pagoda started floating above the ground. He calmly stood as the massive pagoda shrank down in front of his eyes before slowly being absorbed into his dantian. The once majestic pagoda which stood at the outskirts of the sect finally vanished, taking its ancient and heavy aura together with it. As the final traces of dust and energy settled, the once imposing structure that had stood for countless years was gone, now being refined within Shen Yuan''s body. As the dust settled and Xun Shuren came out of her stupor, she pointed at the location of the tower, "W-what¡­just happened" she muttered to herself as if she still couldn''t believe what had happened here. The whole history of the sect would be changed by this single event, "That Pagoda¡­ belonged to the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect for generations. How can it¡­" Shen Yuan calmly turned towards her, gazing directly into her eyes, "The pagoda was part of a deal made long ago with your founding ancestors, I was merely the one who fulfilled the terms to get it." His voice carried neither arrogance nor bragging as he simply stated the facts. And this only made her even more helpless as she couldn''t even argue against it, they all knew that the Pagoda didn''t belong to them since no disciple was allowed to do the final trial, but it didn''t matter since no one achieved it. "You¡­you really passed the impossible trial." Her voice lost her usual sharpness as her mind was a mess currently, not only couldn''t she think clearly but she also forgot that she was supposed to bring this news to the Sect Master and Peak Elders. Huo Rong, who was still processing all of this, also stepped forward and ced her hand on Xun Shuren''s shoulder, "Shuren, I know this might be hard to digest, but Shen Yuanpleted all the trials of the Pagoda and it chose him as its sole inheritor." Xun Shuren nodded her head slightly as she took a deep breath to calm down. Han Qingyu, who has been silent all this whole, finally spoke up after seeing the situation calming down, "So what now?" She asked in a curious tone, "You just took one of the sect-defining treasures of Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect, won''t they have objections against this?" Shen Yuan smiled softly and thought about how he had felt with them multiple times throughout different lives, "You do not need to worry about it, the Peak Masters and Sect Leader aren''t morons that they will stand in my way of getting the inheritance when their own founding ancestor made the rule. On the contrary, I will receive all the attention from them and will be made a core disciple directly." Han Qingyu looked at him with admiration and Huo Rong also nodded her head, "You are right Yuan''er, you don''t need to worry about them mistreating you. Master won''t allow that, and I doubt they won''t dare to give my master face." Shen Yuan smiled lightly hearing her and turned towards Xun Shuren, "Let''s go and meet up with Sect Master and Peak Elders, I think they have waited enough for us." Huo Rong and the other nodded as they left the trial ce and walked toward a glowing portal that was releasing spatial waves. Han Qingyu curiously looked at it and asked, "What is this portal?" Xun Shuren replied this time, bing more chatty after seeing Shen Yuan''s ability, "This is a teleportation portal, all the major sects use this type of portal to move around from one location to another, or else it will take too much time just for traveling." Han Qingyu nodded in understanding as they soon reached the portal. The guards stepped aside after seeing 2 Inner Elders going through the teleportation portal. Normal disciples had to pay a fee to use it, while it was free for elders. Shen Yuan and the others stepped through the portal and suddenly felt dizzy, while it was a different case for Shen Yuan as he was exposed to such pure spatialws for the first time. The space of the Pagoda was much stronger so he couldn''t feel the spacew as clearly as here. Shen Yuan didn''t miss this opportunity and tried toprehend the space element. But s, due to time restrictions, he couldn''t evenprehend a little of the space intent before he was teleported to the Radiant Heart Peak. It was the central peak of the sect where all the Core Disciples, Elders, Grand Elder, and Sect Master stayed. Shen Yuan looked at the majestic peak as it reached well over 15000 km in height alone, he couldn''t even imagine how big it was. "Let''s go, we need to take a few more portals before arriving before the Sect Leader and other Peak Elders." Xun Shuren said while continuing to walk towards another portal in the distance. A lot of cute female disciples stopped what they were doing and stared at Shen Yuan. As it was very rare for a male cultivator to visit this deep inside their sect. But they didn''t dare to get close when they saw two inner elders going with him. Shen Yuan, on the other hand, didn''t mind it at all and appreciated the different beauties of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect. Some of them blushed when they saw his handsome visage walking further away. Han Qingyu was also looking around, checking out the sect as she didn''t have permission to visit this ce just yet. On the other hand, Huo Rong noticed Shen Yuan looking at other women as she asked to him through Harem Connect, "Are you enjoying looking at all the beauties of our sect?" Chapter 128: Sect Master Shen Yuan nodded without replying, instead he continued to look around, appreciating the beauties. But before Huo Rong could continue, Shen Yuan took two hairpins from his inventory and gave them to Huo Rong and Han Qingyu. "You can take these as a good luck charm from me, they would look good on you." Shen Yuan smiled lightly and said to Huo Rong and Han Qingyu. Huo Rong took the hairpin with a confused expression, while Han Qingyu happily epted hers with a bright smile. Shen Yuan watched as she happily put it on her head on the spot with a bright smile on her face. The hairpin sparkled in her hair,plimenting her beauty. Huo Rong on the other hand, still had doubts as she looked at Shen Yuan and asked through Harem Connect, "What''s this for, Yuan''er? I doubt you''d give us just a regr ornament right now." Shen Yuan chuckled softly and answered her through Harem Connect, "It will be a surprise for you, let''s hope we won''t have to see this surprise though." Huo Rong still looked at him curiously but didn''t pursue the matter, while Han Qingyu''s voice sounded from the side, "Brother Yuan, thank you for the gift, it''s so pretty!" Shen Yuan smiled lightly and patted her head before continuing to walk on the Radiant Heart Peak. As the group continued their journey, Shen Yuan''s sharp eyes caught the sight of several female disciples grouping together and stealing nces at him. Some of them whispered among themselves, blushing and giggling as they caught his attention. Huo Rong, noticing this, smirked slightly and nudged him gently, "You seem to be quite the sensation here, Yuan''er. Did you find any one of them to your liking?" Shen Yuan smiled yfully, his eyes scanning the distant group of disciples, "What can I do if they find me interesting? It''s most likely their innocent curiosity since they don''t see male cultivators often in their sect." He paused and continued with a smirk, "And of course, one as handsome as mentioned would be a rare sight anywhere in the world." Huo Rong, Han Qingyu, and Xun Shuren faltered slightly at his shameless remark, but when they turned their faces to look at him, they couldn''t help but agree that he was correct. Han Qingyu giggled softly, "Brother Yuan is right, I have never seen someone as handsome as him." Huo Rong also agreed with a proud smile, "Of course, you haven''t, whose brother do you think he is." Shen Yuan chuckled while shaking his head, "Alright enough chit-chat, we came here for something else. We can tour the sectter." Soon they reached a portal with much tighter security than others, even Huo Rong and Xun Shuren had to show their badges to get entry. After the entire group got prepared to leave from the portal, Xun Shuren paused and said, "This portal will take us near the Sacred Lotus Hall, where the sect leader usually presides over the sect. Don''t misbehave in front of the sect leader now." Shen Yuan nodded in seriousness as he knew the next step would determine his status in the sect. He also needed to exin the Ancestral Pagoda''s disappearance without causing too much of a stir. [Shen Yuan, do you really think you can join the sect without causing too much of a stir?] Yue Lan asked curiously. ''That is impossible. What do you think will happen when one of the biggest sects of the Eastern Deste Region, which is famous for only epting female disciples epts a male disciple?'' he shook his head slightly with a smile. [Hmm, that''s what I thought too, you can only reduce the impact by hiding the news of the Pagoda being in your possession since no one else other than your group saw it. Maybe you can have a talk with the sect leader and hide itpletely.] Shen Yuan nodded, ''That''s the n, I still need to see the personality of the sect leader before seeing if that will work or not.'' As soon as they stepped foot into the portal, Shen Yuan could once again feel the spatial fluctuations, and this time, he used the opportunity to absorb more of the spatialws around him. He could sense himself getting closer to grasping the essence of the space intent, but the teleportation was too short for him to grasp it clearly as the world around them shifted as they entered the core area of the sect. The entire peak was filled with so much Qi that it had turned into mist, even a normal cultivator would be a genius if he cultivated here. At some distance from them stood a majestic grand hall, adorned with golden Lotus and radiant symbols glowing softly on it. Shen Yuan scanned the area but couldn''t find anyone in sight, so he stopped looking. He looked at Xun Shuren, "Why aren''t there any guards here? Shouldn''t this be the most guarded ce inside the sect?" He asked as he remembered that in the novels he used to read, the ce of the sect leader was the most heavily guarded one. Xun Shuren looked at Shen Yuan for a moment before replying proudly, "Why do you think she needs protection? She is one of the strongest cultivators of our sect. Why would she need guards." "...Makes sense." Shen Yuan nodded and decided to not use too much of the knowledge from his past life as it seemed quite unreliable. They all headed towards the hall as Xun Shuren showed her badge to the gates. After waiting for a moment, she opened the gates. A barrier separated the interior of the hall from the outside, concealing its mysteries. It made Han Qingyu and Shen Yuan curious about what could be inside of the sect as it seemed mysterious enough. Shen Yuan extended his hand forward and it passed through the barrier without any obstruction, he didn''t hesitate further and walked through the gate. Han Qingyu, Xun Shuren, and Huo Rong followed behind him. Inside was a vast space filled with various biomes, and by a sereneke sat a beautiful woman dressed in a pink cultivator''s robe, ying a zither. She had light pink hair and pink eyesplementing her beauty. She was sitting on the lush grass which was softly dancing in the wind. Shen Yuan was momentarily stunned as he thought, ''She didn''t look like this during any of the lives I experienced in the Dao Heart trial on the Deste Continent, did she?'' [That''s because those were not the future of this world but what you perceived will happen in the future. The trials were there to test your Dao Heart, not to give you a glimpse of future events.] Yue Lan patiently exined to him the reasons why everything was happening differently than what he experienced before. Shen Yuan nodded in realization as he focused back on her, but this time listening to her music as well. Her mastery of zither was truly superb as her music seemed to instill life into the very surroundings. Before the group knew it, they walked forward and were standing in front of the Sect Leader of Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect. Chapter 129: Sect Master II Han Qingyu felt an overwhelming oppression as she lowered her head instinctively. Not daring to meet the gaze of a peak expert. Meanwhile, when Shen Yuan felt the overwhelming oppression, his bloodline reacted instantly, releasing a soft energy throughout his body that dispelled any sense of oppression. Shen Yuan didn''t mind this as he could tell that she was not doing this purposely, but instead, it was an instinctive reaction from their bodies when meeting someone at a much higher cultivation base than theirs. After standing there for a while, the sect leader finally finished her song as she opened her eyes to look at Shen Yuan and the others, her eyes sparkled with divine light as if containing the myriad world. It felt like no secret could be veiled in front of those divine eyes. Han Qingyu nearly kneeled when she felt the pressure intensifying, but Shen Yuan put a hand on her shoulder and the pressure vanished for her as well. The Sect Leader''s eyes shed with surprise as she retracted all her pressure, "My apologies. I couldn''t resist examining you more closely when I saw you standing before me. You truly are something else, even I can''t see through youpletely." Shen Yuan left Han Qingyu''s side and stepped forward a bit, he bowed slightly in respect before speaking, "No need to mind about that, my mom talked a lot about you before, Senior Mei Hua." He took a good look at her after finishing speaking, she was wearing a thin pink veil, covering her face as they revealed her enchanting pink eyes, and her pink hair reached her waist. She was sitting barefoot beside theke with a zither, looking curiously at Shen Yuan. Mei Hua''s eyes curled slightly as if smiling a bit, she asked gently, "Yuxin, huh¡­, what did she say about me?" ''Fuck! She never talked about you! I was just being polite.'' Shen Yuan groaned inwardly while thinking about what to make up. "My mother mentioned you in passing during my training sessions, Senior Mei Hua. She talked about your graceful ways of handling the sect and how you give pointers to juniors in the sect. She admires you a lot, and that left quite an impression on me." He prayed that this vaguepliment would be enough to satisfy her curiosity. Mei Hua''s pink eyes gleamed with amusement as she giggled, "Hehe~ You shouldn''tpliment others if you are not used to it. I know for certain she didn''t tell you anything about me or the sect. She likes to keep the suspense of things. As for her admiring me?" She ced a hand on her lips and chuckled softly, "I am merely a junior in front of her, why would she admire me?" Shen Yuan''s eyes twitched as Mei Huo saw through his lie, he coughed to hide his embarrassment, "Cough, It''s not like that, Senior. I just didn''t know how to start the conversation." Huo Rong and Han Qingyu stood some distance away, suppressing theirughter as they looked at Shen Yuan, while Xun Shuren shook her head and muttered under her breath, "I asked him to behave in front of the sect leader but this guy¡­" Mei Hua stoppedughing but still held a smile behind her veil, she asked softly, "Tell me Shen Yuan, why do you want to join my Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect? It''s an all-female sect you know? It has never happened in our sect, so it will cause quite a stir if it happened." Shen Yuan also calmed down and looked straight at her before replying, "Because my Mom and Sisters asked me to join it." Mei Hua waited for a bit for him to continue. But seeing that he was not continuing, she asked in a slightly confused voice, "That''s it? You are joining just because your Mom and Sisters asked you to? Didn''t you think of joining sects more suitable for you? Please don''t take offence but I don''t think our sect''s techniques are suitable for you." Shen Yuan smiled confidently and replied, "You need not worry about it. I already have a cultivation technique and I don''t want another one. As for joining a better sect, that''s out of the question, whichever sect I join will be the best sect. It will be boring to join the strongest sects from the beginning." Mei Hua looked at him in confusion, notprehending his thought process but she soon shook her head to get rid of stray thoughts and asked again, "So, now that you have visited our sect, do you still n to join it?" Shen Yuan looked at her with slight confusion, "Shouldn''t you be the one epting or refusing me?" Mei Hua smiled lightly, "What are you talking about? With your talent alone, no sect would refuse you. Nearly all sects of the Deste Continent would wage war for you if they knew about your talent. Why would we refuse you, even if we talk about our only female rule, you have already passed the trial set by our founding ancestor." She paused, looking intently at Shen Yuan, "Now, it''s up to you whether you want to join our sect or not. We won''t ask for the Ancestral Pagoda as that was written our Ancestral records, whoever inherits the Pagoda will have full control over it." Shen Yuan nodded in understanding, "I see¡­so that''s how it was arranged. Then I will¡­" Huo Rong, Han Qingyu, Xun Shuren, and Mei Hua waited with bathed breaths to hear Shen Yuan''s decision. "...join the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect, since that was why I came this far. And my family is already here, so it would be better to just stay here until I''m strong enough to travel thend on my own." he finished speaking with a smile on his face. All the other women heaved a sigh of relief hearing his decision. Then they all got happy receiving a peerless genius in their sect. "Wee to the Sect, Shen Yuan." Xun Shuren came forward a bit and weed Shen Yuan into the sect. Mei Hua also nodded her head, "Very well, Shen Yuan, you are wee to the sect. But where do you think we should ce you?" She asked him for his opinion on this matter since he would be the one to receive the treatment of that rank. Shen Yuan thought for a second before replying, "Outer Sect disciple would be the best for now." Huo Rong stepped forward a bit and nudged him, "Are you sure about that, Yuan''er? You can directly be a core disciple you know. Why do you want to be an outer disciple." Shen Yuan turned around and patted her head lightly before exining in a gentle tone, "You tell me, when an unknown male disciple, who no one has even heard of, joined one of the most powerful all-female sects of Eastern Deste Region, and as a core disciple at that. How would the sect disciples react?" Huo Rong contemted for a bit before answering, "There would be unrest in the sect, disciples might even be dissatisfied with the treatment of the sect. And the top disciples will think that an outsider stole a spot of the core disciple from them." Chapter 130: Outer Sect Shen Yuan nodded his head and continued speaking, "Good, now if I join as an outer disciple then I can slowly prove myself and they will also get enough time to ept me as one of their own and won''t treat me like an outsider. And everyone knows about the trial of the Ancestral Pagoda, so they know that I am more than worthy enough to be a core disciple." Han Qingyu asked in confusion, "Then why do you want to be an outer disciple, Brother Yuan?" Shen Yuan smiled lightly and turned back towards Mei Hua before replying, "Knowing is one thing, and epting is another, they won''t ept the reality until it is beaten into them." Han Qingyu giggled at his word of choice, while Mei Hua could only gently shake her head as she also had these problems, that''s why she asked for Shen Yuan''s opinion on the matter. He soon continued, "This is not the only reason for me deciding to join as an outer sect disciple, I want to see the sect for myself to see if it is worthy of my full supportter or not." He paused, letting them digest the information before continuing, "I want to experience the life of a sect disciple as well. The thing I''m least short of right now is time, so it matters not if I join directly as the core disciple or an outer disciple." Mei Hua didn''t expect him to observe it this thoroughly in such a short time. She was even more impressed with his wisdom than his cultivation base. "You truly left me in awe at your wisdompared to your age, you are truly one of a kind genius. It truly is a monumental moment for our sect with you joining us." She genuinely praised Shen Yuan for his wisdom while thinking about the sect''s future. Shen Yuan smiled lightly and replied, "Thank you for your kind praise Senior Mei Hua, but I''m still far from reaching the heights that I aspire to reach one day. For now, I will just focus on growing stronger while continuing to spend time with my family." Mei Hua nodded, looking at him with approval, "With that mindset, you will go far on the path of cultivation, surpassing me would only be a matter of time." Huo Rong, standing beside Shen Yuan added, "I believe Yuan''er will not only prove himself to the sect but also change the dynamic of the entire sect." Shen Yuan gave Huo Rong a teasing nce, "You are giving me too much credit, let''s take one step at a time. I still need to see how the outer sect is." Xun Shuren, who had been silently observing the scene, finally spoke up, "With Shen Yuan in the sect, I think we might be able to see some changes happen inside the stagnant mindset of the disciples. He has already stirred things up quite a bit bypleting the Ancestral Pagoda test, the news about that should be circting soon inside the sect." Mei Hua faced a knowing smile behind her veil, "Indeed, the Ancestral Pagoda has been one of the most mysterious things in our sect''s history. The fact that Shen Yuan had not onlypleted the trial but also inherited the pagoda speaks volumes about his potential. Now we need to see the reaction of the sect members and other sects." Shen Yuan nodded, "I know this decision might cause some unrest in the sect, but believe that you won''t regret your choice of epting me. I will prove this in due time." Mei Hua took a deep look at him before nodding and saying, "You have thought things through already, your decision to start from the outer sect will allow you to integrate into the sect more easily and disciples will also have more time to ept you as their own. You do not need to worry about the sect elders or others in higher positions trying to make things difficult for you, but you need to solve the problems created by disciples by yourself." Shen Yuan bowed slightly, "Thank you for your kind words, Senior Mei Hua. You won''t be disappointed with my performance." Mei Hua nodded with a smile behind her veil, her pink eyes filled with satisfaction, "Very well. You will start as an outer sect disciple. But it won''t be long from now when you reach your rightful ce. Now, if there is nothing else, we''ll prepare for your official initiation." Shen Yuan turned to Huo Rong and Han Qingyu. "Looks like we will be spending a lot of time together from now on. Han Qingyu giggled, "I''m looking forward to it, Brother Yuan!" Huo Rong smiled warmly, her gaze softening. "I knew you couldn''t bear to leave us alone, now we all can stay here together and grow stronger. It will be a fun journey, Yuan''er." Mei Hua rose from her ce near theke, and her presence shifted from gentle tomanding, befitting of being a sect leader. "Prepare yourself, Shen Yuan. The sect will officially recognize you soon. Once word spreads about you joining us, there will be many eyes on you." Shen Yuan nodded, a gleam of wild confidence shing in his eyes as he spoke with a smirk, "Let theme." Mei Hua looked at Shen Yuan for a moment before nodding, "Then it''s settled. Your journey within the sect will begin as an outer sect disciple. We will arrange your joining ceremony soon. Huo Rong, and Xun Shuren, please take Shen Yuan to the outer sect disciples'' hall. Ensure that he receives what an outer sect disciple gets without much trouble." Huo Rong stepped forward and bowed, "Understood, Sect Leader, I will take care of Shen Yuan in the sect." She replied before turning to Shen Yuan, "Let''s go, Yuan''er. Hehe~ It will be fun from now on." Han Qingyu giggled again, excitement clear on her face as she added, "Hehe~ I can''t wait to see how you will fit in the outer sect. This is going to be so much fun." Shen Yuan shook his head with amusement. "I hope the outer sect is ready for me," he joked, earning augh from the group. As Shen Yuan and the group made their way out of the Sacred Lotus Hall, the fresh mountain air hit their faces, making them refreshed. Huo Rong nced over at him, her expression a mixture of excitement and gloating, "Yuan''er, even though you have decided to start out as an outer sect disciple, you do know the amount of attention you are going to attract right?" Shen Yuan smiled knowingly, "Of course, I know that since it was a part of my n all along. I will prove myself step by step to the disciples and elders of the sect, otherwise it would be no fun. And once they see what I''m capable of, their doubts will vanish about me joining the sect." Han Qingyu, walking beside them, beamed with excitement, "I can''t wait to see how you will handle them, Brother Yuan! Everyone''s going to be so shocked when they realize that a male cultivator is going to join the sect, and one that cleared the Ancestral Pagoda Trial at that!" Shen Yuan chuckled, "I''m sure it will cause one heck of a stir. But more than that, I want to see how the disciples will react to my presence, will they be excited? Disappointed? Against it? After all, I''m not the only one being tested, I need to see if this sect is worthy of me to stay." As the group walked through the portals and reached the outer sect, they caught the attention of many disciples there. Their eyes widened in curiosity as they noticed a male cultivator walking among them, especially one apanied by inner elders and an Inner disciple. After all, it was not every day that they saw Inner disciples in the outer sect, let alone Inner Sect Elders. "Is that a male disciple?" "No way! How did he even get in here?" "Who is he? I''ve never seen a male cultivator in the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect before!" The disciples'' murmurs grew louder as Shen Yuan and the group continued their path toward the outer sect disciples'' hall. Huo Rong, hearing the whispers, smirked and leaned toward Shen Yuan. "See? The attention has already started. I wonder how long it will take before rumors spread like wildfire." Shen Yuan also noticed the anomaly and asked in slight confusion, "Why are they reacting so differently than the cultivators of the Inner Sect? They seem like they have never seen a male disciple in the outer sect before." Xun Shuren replied, "That''s because they indeed have not seen a male cultivator inside the outer sect. If someonees to visit us, they go to the Inner Sect directly via the portals. So they nearly never got a chance to see a male disciple inside the sect." Chapter 131: Courtyard As they approached the outer sect administration hall, the crowd of disciples started to be thin, though murmurs and whispers continued to echo around them. Some stared in disbelief, while others seemed excited to see a male disciple inside the Sect''s grounds. The outer sect disciple''s hall was arge, ancient building surrounded by lush gardens and flowers. It stood as a testament to the sect''s lone history, a ce where new blood was pumped into the sect. Shen Yuan looked around to see the surroundings being beautifully designed, "Looks like the predecessors spent a lot of time designing the sect''syout. Every ce is so beautifully decorated." Xun Shuren proudly replied, "This sect was designed by the third disciple of our Founding Ancestor, she was an alchemist as well as a formidable cultivator. She was one of the brightest stars of her time. Later she became the second generation Sect Master of our sect." Shen Yuan nodded his head while ncing around, he still noticed the disciple stealing nces at him but he soon shook his head and continued towards the outer sect administration hall. As they entered the hall, the atmosphere grew more formal, the disciples wereing and going from inside the hall. There were different sections for different things inside of it. There were disciples gathered in front of a board where missions were on disy, so the disciples could choose what type of mission they wanted to do. Another bunch of disciples were taking monthly resources which the sect gives each month to them. And other such ces. Shen Yuan looked around for a bit, noticing that nearly everyone stopped whatever they were doing and was staring in his direction curiously. The Elders, on the other hand, were clearly aware of the significance of having a male disciple in the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect, and more so, they could sense his unique air even among those top disciples of other Divine Sects after seeing so many of them. Some had already heard whispers of the Ancestral Pagoda trial, and rumors about Shen Yuan were spreading like wildfire. Xun Shuren, noticing the stares towards Shen Yuan, cleared her throat and stepped forward, "This is Shen Yuan, who cleared the Ancestral Pagoda Trial and earned the qualification to be a core disciple of the sect." She paused, looking at the reaction of everyone, which turned to awe and shock as soon as they heard it, after all bing the core disciple was no easy task. She soon continued, "But after having a talk with him, he decided to start as an outer disciple to learn more about our sect and to get used to this new ce. He will have to go through all the tests that a normal disciple has to go through so you guys don''t have to worry that he will take your spot." All the disciples looked at each other in bewilderment as they couldn''t believe their ears. "Is this real?" "Someone actuallypleted that trial?" "Even the Holy Scions of other Divine Sects couldn''tplete it." ¡­ The murmurs grew intense as they started observing Shen Yuan with even more intensity. Xun Shuren, looking that themotion wouldn''t die down soon, brought Shen Yuan to the ce where the monthly resources were being allocated. "Give him his monthly quota of resources and what new disciples get." She said to the older disciples on duty who were distributing resources to the disciples. The older disciples came out of the shock from receiving a male disciple in the sect and hurriedly went inside to fetch the items. "What resources will I receive as a new outer sect disciple?" Shen Yuan came toward Xun Shuren and asked her curiously. Xun Shuren turned towards him and answered him with a soft smile, "You will receive exactly what outer sect disciples receive upon entering the sect, hehe, you wanted to experience the life of a sect member right? You will receive exactly what every new disciple receives." Shen Yuan smiled in amusement hearing her reply, "I see, I would appreciate if we keep it that way, after all, even if I receive the year''s worth of resources at once I doubt they would be useful. It will be more meaningful this way." Momentster, the older disciples returned, carrying a storage pouch and a jade token. The storage pouch contained various cultivation resources, including basic Qi-gathering pills, cultivation manuals, a few low-grade spirit stones, and a basic Sect''s uniform. These were standard for new recruits in the outer sect, meant to lead them in their early cultivation journey. "This will be your initial allocation," Xun Shuren said, handing the pouch to Shen Yuan after taking it from the older disciples. "You''ll also receive a monthly allotment of spirit stones and pills to support your cultivation efforts. The jade token will allow you ess to the sect''s resources and missions, it will work as your identity token as well inside the sect. So, keep it on you all the time." Shen Yuan took the items from her and gave them a brief look before putting them away. "Thank you for the efforts." he nodded politely towards the sect disciples who brought him the resources. As they left the hall after taking the monthly resources, Huo Rong couldn''t help but ask him. "How do you like the sect so far, Yuan''er? Is it to your liking? or did you not find it interesting enough?" Shen Yuan chuckled softly. "It''s refreshing, actually. This sect is peaceful from what I have observed so far, probably due to the serene cultivation atmosphere, i will enjoy my time here thoroughly." Han Qingyu walked beside them, her excitement showing clearly on her face, "Still, it doesn''t make sense that you got basic resources when you havepleted a trial that no other has been able toplete in such a long time. But I guess that''s what makes your approach meaningful, otherwise, it would lose its purpose if you get preferential treatment." Shen Yuan smiled lightly and agreed with her, "You just need to focus on cultivating diligently and leave the rest of the work to me. I still need to learn a few things. But now that I havee here and joined the sect, I have all the time in the world to do that." Xun Shuren led the group toward Shen Yuan''s assigned living quarters in the outer sect. The path they walked was lined with cherry blossoms and tranquil gardens, offering a serene atmosphere for cultivation practice and exchanging pointers with each other. It also suited the gentle temperament of the teachings of the sect. As they walked, Shen Yuan could sense many eyes on him¡ªsome filled with curiosity, others with a hint of awe or attraction. But he didn''t mind them one bit and continued walking forward. "Here we are," Xun Shuren said, gesturing toward a small courtyard. "These will be your quarters for now. It''s modest butfortable, though you should have been in a courtyard with 3 others, but since you are a male disciple, I think there would be a lot of disturbance if other disciples raised questions about that. You have received your own courtyard, isn''t this nice?" The courtyard was simple yet elegant, with a small pond at one side and a bamboo grove to one side. It was a peaceful and secluded spot, ideal for focused cultivation. Shen Yuan nodded in approval. "Hehe, I wouldn''t have minded sharing a courtyard with those cute disciples," he said, stepping into the courtyard. "This ce is good as well, I can spend my time peacefully with my family." Huo Rong felt her lips twitch as she nudged his back harder, "You want cute disciples to live with you eh, should I tell that to Master?" Shen Yuan jumped a little forward, chuckling lightly as he replied, "Hehe~ she would want them to join my harem if they were good enough." Huo Rong just stomped her foot on the ground and ignored hisment. Xun Shuren smiled, ignoring their banter as she said. "Good. You will find that the outer sect is indeed a cozy ce to live in and the disciples are also quite good, though I don''t know how they will treat you. Hehe~ you will have to figure that out yourself." Huo Rong, who had walked back towards the entrance leaned against the door, her usual smirk on her face. "It will be fun to see how you will take care of all of this now Yuan''er. Let''s see how much you can enjoy yourself before Masteres back." Shen Yuan nced at her, amused. "You sound like you''re expecting me to struggle if shees out of seclusion." Han Qingyu giggled, "Maybe not struggle, but it''ll be fun to see how you handle her once she finds out you were going to get a few outer sect disciples into your courtyard, Brother Yuan." Shen Yuan grinned. "Challenges are what I thrive on. I''ll let her know who she is dealing with." He also sneakily sends a message to Huo Rong through Harem Connect, ''[And what will Mom even do when shees out? Heh~ we will get wild once shees out, she won''t have time to worry about this minor matter.]'' Chapter 132: Room As the Xun Shuren was about to leave him to settle in, she paused and said, "Remember, if you need guidance or help, you cane to me or any of the inner disciples. As long as they aren''t the entric type they will help you out." Shen Yuan nodded appreciatively and said with a slight smile, "I will. Thank you, Elder Shuren." Xun Shuren also smiled softly, "Now, I feel like I have finally done something an elder should have done. You cane look for me if you have any problems or need help." Shen Yuan smiled and nodded, "I will definitely bother you if I have something I need help with," he nced at Han Qingyu, "For now, can you show Qingyu around the inner sect and settle her as well? I doubt an outer sect disciple like me can visit the inner sect at will." Xun Shuren replied, "You can visit the inner sect if an inner sect disciple has invited you or if you are a follower of an inner sect disciple. Hehe~ you can decide for yourself whatever you want to do." She paused as she looked at Han Qingyu, "As for Qingyu, I will show her around the sect, you can leave her to me." "Good, then for now I will catch up with Sister Huo while you show her around the sect." He turned towards Han Qingyu. "You can take a few days to settle down and take some rest, after I''m done here, we will explore the sect." "I understand, Brother Yuan. I will take my leave for now." She nodded politely towards Huo Rong before taking her leave together with Xun Shuren. After Han Qingyu and Xun Shuren left, the courtyard got noticeably quieter. Shen Yuan turned towards Huo Rong, who was looking at him with an amused look on her face get her eyes were filled with fondness. "So, Yuan''er," Huo Rong began teasingly, "Now that you have joined the sect and settled here, how do you feel about bing the only male disciple of one of the strongest all female sects?" Shen Yuan smiled and walked closer to her, "It feels¡­great. It feels as if I''m surrounded by flowers. The view, atmosphere are all good. Especially the sweet and intoxicating fragrance all around." Huo Rong felt her face turning a bit red as she scolded him under her breath "You pervert!" She hurriedly looked outside, seeing that no one was around she closed the door and came in front of Shen Yuan. Huo Rong stood in front of him and said with a smirk. "You really are bold, if any of the inner disciples heard what you said and they spread it around, those beautiful flowers will show you their thorns." Shen Yuan chuckled and wrapped his hand around her waist, pulling her closer towards him, he felt her soft breast pressing on his chest, he whispered in her ears softly, "Will this flower also show me her thorns?" Huo Rong smiled sweetly and hugged him back, resting her head on his chest, "I missed you." She gently spoke while burying her head in his chest. Shen Yuan smiled gently and patted the back of her head, "I missed you as well. How was your seclusion? Did you sessfully change your cultivation technique?" Huo Rong nodded her head, "Yes, this new cultivation technique is so much better and stronger than my previous cultivation technique. And together with the pill''s effect, my cultivation base has been strengthened to an unimaginable level. I feel like I can beat up my past self with a single hand." Shen Yuan chuckled looking at her acting all excited, "Alright, alright, calm down. You can test your strength when Sister Binges out of seclusion. Let''s explore the courtyard for now." Huo Rong nodded and led the way for him. ''Hey, Yue Lan, how many hits can I take from Sister Huo with my current cultivation base?'' Yue Lan''s mocking voice echoed in his mind, [It would be a miracle if you can withstood a single hit from her previous self, much less now with her enhanced strength.] Shen Yuan felt his lips twitching at Yue Lan''s mocking voice, but she also spoke the truth as he had overestimated himself far too much to bepared with someone on Huo Rong''s cultivation base. As they walked through the courtyard, Shen Yuan could feel the atmosphere changing due to Huo Rong''s excitement. He gently grabbed her hand, "What made you so excited?" "Hehe~ I''m finally alone with you after such a long time, so I''m just happy." She said as she turned her head and Shen Yuan saw a bright smile on her face. Her smile was truly infectious as even Shen Yuan started smiling to himself. "Look," she pointed towards a corner where stones were ced with wooden weapons, "You can practice martial arts there. They gave us a variety of choices to look through which ones are the best for us." Shen Yuan nodded as they continued exploring the courtyard, she pointed towards a cherry tree with a mat ced below it, "You can meditate there after you finish training." Shen Yuan smiled as he looked at the peaceful spot under the cherry tree. "It looks perfect, peaceful and serene. I would definitely enjoy sitting there peacefully." Huo Rong squeezed his hand lightly, feeling the warmth of her hand, her smile still bright and radiant, "I knew you would like it! This courtyard will be your home for at least some time, you will soon join the inner sect though so we have some time to enjoy ourselves here before that." Shen Yuan chuckled softly, "Haha, you don''t need to tter me. Even if I soon join the inner sect, that doesn''t mean I can''t take my courtyard with me. Just wait until I be a core disciple, and I will ce our mansion inside the core peak of the sect." Huo Rong''s smile turned a bit nostalgic, "Master used to stay in the mansion on the Radiant Heart Peak before she met up with you. We cultivated inside her mansion all the time, learning new things as well as getting lectured. But anyways, it will definitely be quite a shock for everyone to see her mansion again, but in the hands of a male disciple, hehe~" At the end she couldn''t stop herself from giggling slightly, making Shen Yuan shake his head and lightly spank her butt, "Ahh~" making Huo Rong moan softly. "Don''t start thinking of pranking others so soon. Let them digest the fact that a male cultivator has joined the sect first before giving them an even bigger shock." Huo Rong lightly rubbed her ass while nodding her head with a smile, "Hehe~ don''t mind me." Shen Yuan smiled lightly and shook his head at her behavior. He decided to continue exploring the courtyard for a little more time since it was already evening and the sun had already gone down. As Shen Yuan had explored most of the courtyard, he decided to head inside and look for his room. "Let''s see how my room is for now." Huo Rong giggled softly, "Hehe~ by that, do you mean Our room?" "Yes, our room." Shen Yuan agreed with a smile. "Good, let''s head into your room to see how good it is." She said as she dragged him along with her towards their room. Shen Yuan smiled and followed along while saying, "Now, don''t be too disappointed if you don''t find anything good inside." "Shouldn''t I be the one sharing that?" Huo Rong asked back with a grin on her face. "The room is for both of us, no? So you would also be disappointed if there is nothing good inside of it." He countered her with a smile. ¡­ As their banter continued, they soon stepped foot in front of his room. It was a in wooden door with simple lotus drawings on it. "Looks like we can''t expect much from the room." Shen Yuan said with a light chuckle. "Hehe~ let''s enter the room first." She said as she pushed open the door, revealing a simple and modest room. The walls were bare with minimum furnishings inside, only a bed and a table was ced inside the room. "Well¡­this is worse than I expected." Shen Yuan said with a light shake of his head. "The sect don''t decorate the rooms because in the past, the disciples used to scrap all the decorations and instead use what they buy themselves, so the sect stopped doing it at all." Huo Rong exined with a mischievous grin on her face." "Wait, you already knew about it and still didn''t tell me?" Shen Yuan turned towards her and asked with an amused grin. Huo Rong felt something amiss with his grin but she still confidently replied, "Of course I knew it. I am a inner sect elder here you know. I know at least these things about my sect." Shen Yuan struck her ass again with a bit more force, making her yelp in surprise, "Ahn~" Chapter 133: Huo Rong [R18] "Y-you!" Huo Rong felt her face turning red from being spanked again, but an even more shameful thing was that she felt herself enjoying it. "Enough ying around, let''s decorate the room for now." Shen Yuan said as he ignored her red face and with a wave of his hand, he took out arge hand from his storage ring. It wasn''t just a simple bed, but a luxurious one, with soft silky sheets and 2 pillows. He then began cing a few decorative items around the room: a couple of elegantmps, a carved wooden table, and a beautiful painting of a lotus pond that he got from the city. Huo Rong''s eyes lit up as she looked at the transformed room, "Now, this looks more like a room fit for us. Elegant yet simple, and of course with a big bed." Shen Yuan chuckled softly and nodded his head, "It''s enough for us until we have to change our little Haven. I will change theyout of our manor to make it more befitting of my harem." Huo Rong smiled in excitement as she hugged him tightly, "That would be perfect! We will have our own little ce in this vast world." Shen Yuan gazed outside the window, looking at the vast sect, "If this sect is worthy enough, then I will make this our home." He spoke gently while patting her back. Huo Rong raised her head and stared at Shen Yuan, the air bing thick with tension as he gazed back at her. Discover worlds on m-v le-mpyr He reached out, tucking her hair behind her ear, "It''s much better now that you are here with me." Huo Rong''s breath hitched slightly as she felt Shen Yuan''s intense gaze on her, the warmth of his gaze sent a shiver down her spine as the world outside seemed to fade away. She ced her hand on his chest, feeling his heat seeping into her palm, "Yuan''er¡­" she muttered softly, her voice barely audible. Shen Yuan ced his palm on her cheek, caressing her cheek gently, he leaned towards her. Huo Rong felt her heart skip a beat as she closed her eyes and raised her head a little. Their lips met in a soft and sensual kiss. Shen Yuan felt Huo Rong''s warmth spread through him, her lips soft yet plump beneath his own. Shen Yuan deepened the kiss as their bodies firmly pressed against each other, her hourss figures being firmly hugged by him. Shen Yuan could feel Huo Rong''s perky breasts firmly pressed against his chest, her nipples hardening as Shen Yuan grabbed the back of her head and increased the intensity of the kiss. Huo Rong opened her eyes in surprise but feeling Shen Yuan''s body, her eyes got filled with lust as she closed them and enjoyed the deep kiss. They soon separated their lips from each other, a trial of saliva connecting their lips, "haah¡­haah¡­" They took deep breaths. Their eyes were still staring at each other hungrily. But Shen Yuan still had his rational mind left as he asked internally, ''Yue Lan, can I now-'' Before he could finish his question, Yue Lan''s voice echoed inside his mind. [Yes, you can now dual cultivate with her, your body has already adapted to the previous strain, and her Primordial Yin is nowhere near as strong as Yuxin''s, so you will be able to control it.] Shen Yuan felt a rush of excitement surged through him, but something deeper stirred within him as he looked at Huo Rong''s vulnerable figure in his arms. He held her tightly, caressing her back. He leaned in, his voice soft yet firm, "Are you¡­really sure about this? I don''t want to rush you." Huo Rong paused, her heart pounding in her chest as she raised her head, looking directly into Shen Yuan''s eyes, "Yuan''er," she began, her voice softer than before, "I''ve wanted this... wanted You... for longer than I''ve ever admitted to myself." She said with a yful smile as she softly gave Shen Yuan a peck on his cheek. Her soft yet plump lips left a lingering aftertaste as Shen Yuan looked at her lovingly. "It will be an unforgettable night." Huo Rong felt her pussy getting wetter just imagining how the night would go. She looked at Shen Yuan lustfully, her glistening skin being caressed by Shen Yuan as she attacked his lips this time. Shen Yuan''s eyes shed with a bit of surprise seeing how eager she was, but he happilyplied and grabbed the back of her head for a deep kiss. Feeling her rosy lips once again made him even more horny. Huo Rong felt something press against her stomach as she extended her hand to touch it, her face getting redder from feeling the bulge on Shen Yuan''s robe. Shen Yuan felt her touch his dick, making it throb slightly in response. But he didn''t say anything, instead put his right hand on her ass and began fondling it while he continued enjoying her soft lips. Huo Rong arched her back as she felt Shen Yuan grab her ass tightly and y with it, she also got over her shyness and started to gently caress Shen Yuan''s dick. They soon separated as Shen Yuan could feel Huo Rong''s pussy getting wet, while Huo Rong also felt Shen Yuan''s restlessness as she gently left his embrace. "Shall we head to bed?" Huo Rong asked in a voice filled with lust, looking at him as if she couldn''t wait to eat him up. Shen Yuan''s lips curled into a yful, yet soft smile, "I think we both know whates next¡­" his voice turned sensual. He began untying his robe slowly, his eyes never leaving here, watching her reaction with a mix of teasing and tenderness. Huo Rong''s face flushed, but not from embarrassment,this was different. Despite having seen him countless times before, the intent of this moment made her heart race in a way it hadn''t before. She didn''t say anything and started untying her red robe as well, her eyes never leaving Shen Yuan''s as she gazed at him lustfully. The soft fabric slipped away from her shoulders, revealing the smooth, milky white skin beneath. Her breath hitched slightly, not from shyness but from anticipation as she saw Shen Yuan looking at her intensely. She didn''t stop as the robe cascaded down her hourss figure, exposing her voluptuous curves bathed in the dim candlelight of the room. Her perky breasts rose and fell with each breath, their bouncy weight drawing Shen Yuan''s attention from Huo Rong''s face to her boobs. His gaze filled with lust. He could see the slight quiver in her body, betraying the excitement building within her. Shen Yuan, who was already naked at this point, having his dick exposed in all of its glory, stepped closer to her. His hand reached out to cup her cheek again, his thumb brushing off over her soft skin tenderly. His gaze lingered on her lips, luscious with slight saliva on them, as if begging to be kissed again. Huo Rong, on the other hand, stood on her spot without moving a muscle. Her gaze fixed on Shen Yuan''s majestic dick, ''How will it feel?'' she wondered to herself as Shen Yuan came close to her, finally making her raise her head as she felt him gently caressing her cheek. She raised her head a little, seeing Shen Yuan leaving towards her plump lips, she closed her eyes, waiting for the kiss once again. Shen Yuan closed the distance between them, his lips hovering just above hers, his warm breath sending shivers down Huo Rong''s spine. But instead of kissing her again, his lips trailed a slow path along her cheek, then to her jaw, down her neck, savoring the feeling of her silken skin beneath his lips. Huo Rong''s body responded instinctively, her back arching ever so slightly, pushing her chest toward him. He could feel her perky boobs pressing against his chest, making him more lustful. A soft, barely audible moan escaped her lips as Shen Yuan''s hands traveled down her sides, feeling the gentle curve of her waist. She wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling him closer, the heat of his body igniting her fire. Shen Yuan could feel the tremble in her body, the way her breath hitched slightly, he could feel she was getting even more excited as he grabbed her ass again. yfully kneading it to his heart''s desire as she whispered seductively, "Yuan''er¡­" her voice breathless, full of needy desires. Shen Yuan could feel her supple body heating up, he responded with a soft groan, he pulled her closer, his dick pressing against her stomach as she felt Shen Yuan''s heat seeping into her. She mentally sent him a message via the harem connect, her voice seductive, "Hehe~ it''s my turn to feel you now~" Her hand began to roam his body, fingers grazing over his chest and shoulders first, feeling the hard and sculpted muscles beneath his skin. Chapter 134: Huo Rong II [R18] Each touch of hers sent shivers down Shen Yuan''s spine, making him press closer. Their moments got more intense as he felt her pussy getting wetter. His dick throbbed lightly as Huo Rong finally gave it some attention, she gently caressed it, as if it were the most precious treasure. She felt its hardness as she stroked it slowly while looking into Shen Yuan''s eyes, zed with lust. Shen Yuan broke the kiss gently, looking intensely into Huo Rong''s eyes, "Let''s take things up a notch," he said with a yful smile. Huo Rong''s cheeks flushed softly, her eyes reflecting both excitement and affection. "Oh? And what did you have in mind?" she asked teasingly while gently stroking his dick. Shen Yuan leaned closer, his hand still ying with her plump ass as he whispered in her ear, "Let''s continue on the bed," he pulled her hand gently with him as her ample bosom jiggled slightly. Her eyes shed with excitement as she thought about what might happen next. Soon they both sat down as Shen Yuan looked into her eyes and leaned forward slightly, feeling her intoxicating smell lingering on his nose. He gently kissed her forehead, making her blush slightly as he trailed his lips down her cheek to her neck, she shivered slightly under his touch, making Shen Yuan even more excited as the air became thick with a primal smell. Huo Rong moaned softly under his touch, feeling Shen Yuan''s hardness as she gently stroked it, "Yuan''er¡­" she softly muttered his name, her voice filled with need and longing. Shen Yuan raised one hand and went slightly lower to lick her shoulder, making her squirm as he grabbed her supple boob from one hand and inched his face closer to her other boob. Huo Rong felt a shiver down her spine as Shen Yuan licked her erect nipples, "Nnn" she moaned under her breath, making Shen Yuan even more excited as he took her right nipple inside her mouth and began sucking it. "Ahn Yuan''er~" she moaned out loud as Shen Yuan began pinching her left nipple while continuing to lick while sucking on her right nipple. Huo Rong grabbed Shen Yuan''s head to bring him closer, Shen Yuan also passionately responded as he felt her stiff nipple on his tongue while ying with her firm breast. "Mmm~" She left her head and grabbed his left hand gently, bringing it to her pussy. Shen Yuan opened his eyes, looking at her eyes filled with need as he gave her erect nipples one final lick before kissing her stomach and bringing his face downward. "Lie down on your back," he asked gently as she nodded her head andy down. Giving Shen Yuan a full view of her clean pussy, glistening with slight juices. Shen Yuan brought his hand closer and gently stroked her clit with his thumb, making her shudder slightly. "Ngh~" she released a suppressed moan as he smiled looking at her trying topose herself. He brought his face closer to her pussy, smelling the intoxicating fragrance, he licked his lips as he gently kissed her clit first before giving her pussy a few more kisses. Huo Rong extended her hands and grabbed Shen Yuan''s head before gently pushing his head towards her pussy, making him smile as he knew exactly what she was asking for. He brought out his tongue and licked the dripping juices from her pussy, making her squirm, he continued sucking on her pussy, drinking her divine nectar as an unknown cultivation technique started revolving inside of him. Collecting the Yin Essence from her juices and storing it inside Shen Yuan''s dantian. It was one of the rewards he got after dual cultivating with Shen Yuxin, Eternal Yin-Yang Sutra. It finally showed its effect as Shen Yuan felt them. ''Yue Lan, transfer the cultivation manual to Huo Rong as well.'' Yue Lan, who was busy with something while watching Shen Yuan and Huo Rong, replied in a slightly annoyed tone as if Shen Yuan interrupted something, [Couldn''t you have thought of it sooner? Hmph!] She still sent the technique to Huo Rong and sent her a message exining where it came from and its uses. Which only made Huo Rong''s face burned with embarrassment as she saw Shen Yuan eating her out. Shen Yuan grabbed her plump thighs, gently caressing them as he felt their silky softness. He extended his tongue inside of her all of a sudden, making her release an audible gasp as she closed her legs, making Shen Yuan''s face buried in her thick thighs. Shen Yuan didn''t mind and even enjoyed it, ''Ah¡­any man can die peacefully like this.'' He thought while he started to lick her pussy more vigorously. Soon, Huo Rong felt her orgasm building as she grabbed Shen Yuan''s hair and pushed her deeper. He happily obliged and stroked her thighs with his fingers while licking her clit and inner pussy. "Aaah~" Huo Rong soon released a loud moan as she cummed all over Shen Yuan''s face, he continued sucking her pussy as he drank as much of her delicious juices as he could while some sshed on her face. He soon raised his head, looking at Huo Rong''s breathless face, "Did you enjoy it?" He asked as he brought his face closer to her head. Huo Rong took a few deep breaths before regaining herposure as she grabbed his cheeks with her hand, and replied while looking into his eyes, "It was the best feeling ever!" She replied in excitement as she brought his face closer to hers and gave him a deep kiss. Not minding that his face was wet with her juices as she cleaned them up without hesitation, her slick tongue gave him waves of pleasure as he started to massage her boobs. They both soon broke the kiss, taking deep breaths as Huo Rong pushed Shen Yuan gently while saying, "My turn now hehe~" Shen Yuany down on the bed, looking at her with lust-filled eyes, Huo Rong smiled yfully looking at him. She went down a little, sitting between his legs as he had them stretched to the side forming a Y shape. She gently grabbed his dick and began stroking it, looking at Shen Yuan with a yful smile. His dick soon got rock hard as she couldn''t even fit in one hand, "So big~" she muttered to herself feeling its size. She nearly drooled, feeling it on her hand as she leaned towards his dick, his masculine smell making her wet as she sniffed it. "Liking the smell~?" Shen Yuan yfully asked, looking at her intoxicated look. Huo Rong shamelessly replied, "Yes, it''s truly intoxicating how good it smells. I don''t think I have smelled anything as good as this." She gave it a gentle lick, feeling the arousing smell intensifying many times over. Shen Yuan felt his dick twitch at her gentle lick. Huo Rong also noticed it as she yfully began licking it all over. Shen Yuan grunted in a low voice, feeling excited yet not being able to enjoy it fully. Huo Rong stopped teasing him, holding his dick with one hand and bringing her face above it. She opened her mouth and dropped her saliva to make it wet. Shen Yuan felt her hot and damp saliva covering his dick as she soon took the tip of his stiff dick inside her mouth. Chapter 135: Huo Rong III [R18] She began licking it gently as she took it inside of her mouth little by little, Shen Yuan gently patted her head as she sucked his dick deeper inside of her mouth. She felt his pats on her head as she took the entire length of his dick inside her mouth. Shen Yuan grabbed the bedsheet as he felt the same heavenly feeling he felt while having sex with Yuxin. She slowly pulled back, withdrawing his dick until only the tip remained inside her mouth before plunging it back in, sucking harder this time, making Shen Yuan groan with pleasure. She continued sucking his dick, sliding his dick in and out of her mouth with increasing intensity, making him groan in pleasure, "Mmm, just like that¡­" he murmured under his breath, his fingers tangling gently in her hair, guiding her motion as she bobbed her head up and down. He soon grabbed her head and started to thrust his hips forward as well. At first, this took Huo Rong by surprise but she soon adapted to it and started taking his dick deep down her throat, giving him a sensation at another level. Shen Yuan felt his orgasm building as he started to thrust his hips with more force, she also felt his dick throb inside of her mouth as she applied more pressure on his dick and sucked harder, intensifying the pleasure he was feeling. "Ughh~" he groaned softly as he thrust onest time deeply into her mouth before releasing his cum deep within. Huo Rong felt overwhelmed at receiving so much of his cum at once as she tried to drink it but some still spilled out from the corner of her mouth while Shen Yuan''s dick was still inside of her mouth. She pulled back slowly, letting his dick slide out almost entirely before giving the tip a deep lick to clean the remaining cum, but some still dripped down from the corner of her mouth as she brought her tongue out to lick it clean. Shen Yuan watched her as she gulped down his dripping cum with a yful smirk on her face. She soon cleaned her mouth and face with a water-cleansing spell as she looked at Shen Yuan. She asked in a seductive voice, "Well, how was it? Did you like it?" He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer, giving her a tight hug as he leaned towards her face, whispering softly in her ear, "Hehe, it was amazing¡­but we are just getting started you know?" He smiled mischievously as he dropped onto the bed with her on top of him. She could feel his dick rubbing against her pussy as her plump breasts rubbed on his hard chest, making Shen Yuan''s dick even harder. Shen Yuan looked into her eyes as they both seemed intoxicated by each other''s fragrance. Huo Rong extended her hands and hugged his head tightly while bringing her head closer for a kiss. Shen Yuan returned the gesture as he kissed her while extending his hand towards her ass. ying with it as he fondled it. Rubbing her thighs against his dick, feeling her pussy bing wetter again as they soon decided to take a step forward. He gently pushed her to the side as he got on top of her, cing his dick on her pussy, he gently asked while looking into her eyes, "Are you ready?" Huo Rong closed her eyes for a second as if confirming it again. She soon opened them and firmly looked at Shen Yuan, nodding her head as she kissed his cheek gently, "I''m ready for it." Shen Yuan smiled lightly as he pushed his dick gently into her pussy, feeling the tightness within he slowed down to make it easy on her. He soon felt her nerves getting rxed, continuing to go deeper within her as he soon felt something blocking the way. He looked at her deeply, looking at her firm eyes as she wrapped her arms around Shen Yuan before kissing him deeply, Shen Yuan kissed her cherry lips back as he pushed his dick deeper within her with a bit of force, breaking her hymen in the process. He could feel her pussy constricting as he paused slightly, patting her head, but Huo Rong didn''t stop kissing him, making him also lose his worries as he soon pushed his dick fully inside of her pussy. He hit her plump thighs with his legs, making her stop the kiss and cry out a moan "Aaah~" But he didn''t stop as he pulled back his dick until only the tip remained inside of her pussy before thrusting his rock-hard dick inside of her. Huo Rong continued moaning "Yess~ fuck me!!!" she screamed while hugging Shen Yuan tightly, pasting both of their bodies together as he didn''t give her a moment''s rest and continued thrusting his dick deep inside of her pussy. She felt her pussy twitch each time he thrust it inside of her, making some drool drop from her mouth as Shen Yuan started to suck her tits again, licking her erect nipples while fucking her pussy. She hugged him tightly while feeling the utter bliss of being plowed by Shen Yuan''s dick. Stay tuned to M|VL|EM|PY|R The Eternal Yin-Yang Sutra absorbed all of Huo Rong''s Primordial Yin and stored it inside Shen Yuan''s dantian beside Shen Yuxin''s Primordial Yin. Huo Rong''s Primordial Yin continued to get stronger as Shen Yuan absorbed more Yin Power from her. Huo Rong also absorbed Shen Yuan''s Primordial Yang inside of her Dantian, which should have been impossible but his Primal Harmony Physique made it possible as it generated his Primordial Yang again after dual cultivating with Huo Rong. It was the perfect dual cultivation physique for a reason as it helped all of its practitioner''s harem flourish. But neither Shen Yuan nor Huo Rong knew about this as they were busy exploring each other''s bodies during their carnal dance. "Uhmm! Suck my breasts harder!" She screamed while pushing Shen Yuan''s head towards her boobs, making him suck them harder as he enjoyed it very much. "Aaah!! I''m cumming!" She screamed as she felt her orgasm building, making Shen Yuan thrust harder inside of her as she soon convulsed beneath him, releasing her sweet nectar. But Shen Yuan didn''t mind as he continued thrusting inside of her, raising his head and kissing Huo Rong as he felt his limits nearing. Huo Rong replied fervently as she also kissed him back, feeling his solid muscles on her soft body, she felt her hard nipples brushing against his skin. Making her even more aroused as she dug her fingers inside of his back. Shen Yuan didn''t mind it as he felt licked and sucked her plump lips, feeling intoxicated with them more than ever as his dick twitched inside of her. He increased the speed while grabbing her ass roughly with one hand, kneading it to his heart''s desire. Shen Yuan soon left her lips and looked at her deeply, looking intoxicated as he massaged her ass while staring at her boobs once again. Huo Rong licked her lips looking at him, wrapping her legs around his waist as he pushed him deeper within herself. Chapter 136: Huo Rong IV [R18] He increased the speed while grabbing her ass roughly with one hand, kneading it to his heart''s desire. Shen Yuan soon left her lips and looked at her deeply, looking intoxicated as he massaged her ass while staring at her boobs once again. Huo Rong licked her lips looking at him, wrapping her legs around his waist as he pushed him deeper within herself. "I''m cumming again Yuan''er!!" Huo Rong moaned loudly as she dug her fingernails in his back, Shen Yuan also grunted in a low voice, feeling his orgasm building. "Cum inside me!!" Huo Rong moaned, her voice trembling with desire as she locked eyes with Shen Yuan''s lust-filled gaze. With one final deep thrust, he released his Yang Essence into her, their bodies synchronized as they reached their climax together, orgasming in perfect harmony. Shen Yuan dropped on top of Huo Rong, both taking deep breaths as they looked at each other glistening skin, "It¡­haah¡­it was amazing. I never knew it would feel so good." Huo Rong muttered to herself while hugging Shen Yuan closely. Shen Yuan chuckled softly, "Hehe~ we are just getting started, the night is still long." he whispered sensually in her ear, making her pussy twitch slightly in excitement as she looked at him. He also felt her pussy twitching as he leaned forward and kissed her lips, soon they separated from each other. Huo Rong lightly pushed him to the side as she got on top of Shen Yuan. His dick slipped out of her pussy as he looked at her with amusement, looking forward to what she will do next. She sat down as her pussy pressed against his dick, making it twitch slightly as Shen Yuan looked at her front side, seeing the supple boobs glistening with a thinyer of sweat. He reached out with his hands, cupping the breasts as he massaged them slowly, looking into Huo Rong''s sultry eyes. She started to gently rub her pussy on top of Shen Yuan''s dick, making it twitch from time to time. She smiled lewdly feeling his dick twitch beneath her. She leaned forward, cing her breast on his chest, whispering in his ear seductively, "Shall we begin round 2?" Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up with lust, "Let''s see how long you canst this time." he grabbed her ass and thrust his rock-hard dick inside her pussy. She sat down straight on top of his dick, which made it his dick hit deep within her pussy. She moaned loudly feeling his dick hit her womb, "Aahn~", but Shen Yuan didn''t relent as he withdrew his dick to her entrance before plunging it back deep inside her pussy. Huo Rong ced her hand on his chest, digging her nails into his solid muscles. Shen Yuan roughly yed with her ass as he felt her pussy dampening with juices, which made thrusting inside of her easier. The room filled with lewd wet noises as they both continued enjoying each other''s bodies, Huo Rong lost strength in her hands, dropping on top of him as her soft and perky breast hit his chest. Her face was dangerously close to his as she looked into Shen Yuan''s eyes, her eyes filled with wild lust as she pop her ass up and down on his dick. Shen Yuan inhaled her feminine scent as he felt intoxicated, grabbing the back of her head and kissing her plump lips roughly. Huo Rong also hugged his head, kissing him deeply as the sound of their wet kiss filled the room. Huo Rong felt her orgasm building as Shen Yuan attacked both her upper and lower body. He continued kissing her juicy red lips, even her saliva tasted like the sweetest of honey, he continued ying with her plump ass, feeling it to his heart''s content as he kneaded it. "Spank Me!" Huo Rong sends him a message using Harem Connect, all while their tongues tangled in a wet, heated kiss. Shen Yuan opened his eyes in surprise as he looked at her, but he didn''t see her eyes as she had shut her eyes close, lost either in the overwhelming bliss or the shyness of her request. Huo Rong continued to ride him, her hips moving up and down with increasing intensity. Shen Yuan admired her ripe, bouncing ass as he lifted his right hand from her ass and raised it a little high. Anticipation coursed through Huo Rong as she felt his hand leaving her ass, her pussy constricted in anticipation as she felt ever so close to orgasm, Shen Yuan pulled his hand closer from behind her head, deepening the kiss. With a quick motion, Shen Yuan brought his hand down in a sharp *smack*, spanking her right butt cheek. The impact sent a jolt through Huo Rong, and she gasped, her juices gushing out with a wet *squelch* as her orgasm hit. "Aaahhn~!" she moaned, her voice trembling as her body convulsed in pleasure, her pussy clenching around him. Shen Yuan groaned as he felt her pussy squeezing his dick, nearly cumming as well. He grabbed her ass tightly and thrust his dick into her pussy deeply, cumming inside as well. Huo Rong and Shen Yuan looked at each other lustfully, Huo Rong saying, "Hehe~ The night is still long~." ¡­ Shen Yuan slowly opened his eyes, the soft glow of the rising sun lighting up the room in a cozy light. The scent of lust lingered in the air, reminding him of the wild night they had. He felt something firm yet soft pressing against his chest, looking to the side, Huo Rong nestled against him. Her bare breast pressed against his chest, and her arms wrapped around his torso as if afraid he might disappear. Shen Yuan felt his dick twitch as he realized it was still inside her pussy. He shook his head and smiled lightly looking at her sleeping face. Shen Yuan caressed her flushed cheeks softly, the warmth of her body feeling him with a deep sense of contentment. Feeling his hand on her cheek, Huo Rong murmured softly in her sleep, snuggling closer to him. The sight stirred something tender within him, making him give a sweet smile as he had the urge to protect her forever. Just then, a familiar sound echoed in his mind, and a translucent screen materialized before his eyes [Congrattions, Host!] The system''s robotic voice sounded inside his head. Shen Yuan''s eyes flickered with interest as he read the system prompts appearing one after another. [Ding!] [Congrattions Host for Dual Cultivating with Huo Rong for the first time, you have acquired the following rewards.] [Gained 1,000,000 experience points.] [Eternal Yin-Yang Sutra proficiency increased.] [Increased the power of Primal Harmony Physique.] [A gourd of Qi Condensing Pills.] [¡­] He felt a surge of gentle energy coursing through his meridian and acupoints, it was the Yin essence of Huo Rong melding perfectly with his own Yang energy, increasing his cultivation base bit by bit as as broke through the 8th level of the Foundation Establishment Realm. Shen Yuan closed his eyes, he felt the energy surged through his body, filling every meridian as his cultivation base increased steadily. The energy spiraled within his dantian, surging like a rising tide before cascading throughout his entire body. Chapter 137: Morning** Each of his meridians and acupoints resonated with vitality, bing more profound and stable. Momentster, he felt a subtle barrier shatter within him once again. [Congrattions! You have sessfully broken through to the 9th level of the Foundation Establishment Realm with a stable foundation.] The system''s emotionless voice echoed once again. [Your Primal Harmony Physique continues to show remarkablepatibility with dual cultivation methods. Future progress is expected to be equally efficient.] Shen Yuan took a deep breath, relishing the feeling of his enhanced abilities. He felt his energy surging once again but he suppressed it with his will, ''Not time yet¡­'' He thought as he stopped his breakthrough, thinking about something he asked Yue Lan curiously, ''Why is it that each time the system issues a notification, it replies in the same old emotionless and robotic voice? Wasn''t it due to you being asleep without my consciousness before? What now?'' Yue Lan''szy voice echoed in his mind as if she just woke up, [It''s cause I have split a part of my consciousness to help you whenever you want to interact with the system, I don''t want to repeat all the notifications, and it also makes my life easier for us.] Shen Yuan thought about it for a second and felt it made sense so he dropped the topic and opened his eyes to find Huo Rong gazing up at him, her red eyes shimmering like morning dew on a rose in the morning light. "Finally woke up?" he said softly, a gentle smile on his face as he stroked her head lightly. She nodded, her cheeks tinged with a delicate shade of pink. "I felt a surge of energy just now. Did you...?" He chuckled lightly. "Yes, I just broke through to the next level." Huo Rong''s eyes lip up with delight as she hugged him tighter, her breast pressing against his chest as she excitedly spoke, "You broke through again?? I''m so happy for you!" She reached up to cup his face, her soft touch sending a pleasant warmth through him. "Hehe~Thank you," he replied, covering her hand with his. "But you know, I couldn''t have done it without you so soon." She bit her lower lip shyly. "I''m d I could help." She looked at his face, his gentle gaze melting her heart as she gave him a soft kiss on the lips before hugging him back and cing her face on his chest. Shen Yuan gently patted her head as they descended into a peaceful silence, enjoying each other''spany. After a while, Huo Rong spoke again, "I also received a new dual cultivation techniquest night¡ªthe Eternal Yin-Yang Sutra. Yue Lan exined its benefits to me but she seemed to be in a hurry as if she was doing something else." Shen Yuan''s eyes sparkled with interest. "Huh? Yue Lan seemed to be in a hurry. What can she possibly even do? Hmm¡­anyway, did you feel the difference after using the dual cultivation techniquest night?" She nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, I can already sense my cultivation improving, and my understanding of dual cultivation has deepened. I still need to absorb the essence from your Primordial Yang that I got yesterday so I can maximize my benefits, but I already felt my physique and bloodline improving slightly." He leaned in, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. "I''m d. With this, we''ll be able to support each other even more. And how did you know that you received my Primordial Yang?" Huo Rong exined, "Yue Lan told me about your physiquest night while giving me the technique, she told me to not be shocked and to ept your Primordial Yang inside my dantian." Shen Yuan nodded in understanding as he finally realized what it was, "And from the looks of it, my Primordial Yang can help you in improving the quality of your bloodline and physique. That''s one way to get stronger, if I improve my cultivation base then the effects will be multiplied as well." Huo Rong''s expression turned serious as she looked at the excited expression of Shen Yuan, she spoke seriously, "Yuan''er, even if you want to help us, you shouldn''t rush your cultivation for it, it outweighs the gains by too much." Shen Yuan smiled lightly, "Why do you think I would rush my cultivation? My current speed is already miles better than what anyone else can hope to achieve. You just need to wait a while until i catch up with you hehe. And I have you to help me with my cultivation as well" Huo Rong''s serious expression melted and turned yful. "Does this mean you''ll be visiting me more often?" He smirked. "Hehe, just wait for it." Just then, Yue Lan''s voice chimed in his mind again, a hint of teasing evident. [Shen Yuan, dont forget you have more members in your harem, dont forget about them while enjoying your time with Huo Rong.] Shen Yuan smiled while thinking of Shen Yuxin and Bing Rong. "I know, Yue Lan. I''ll make sure to give everyone the time they deserve." [See that you do. Maintaining harmony within your harem will provide additional benefits to your mental health and you can cultivate in peace as well.] Huo Rong noticed his brief distraction. "Is Yue Lan saying something again?" He nodded with a smile. "Just reminding me to not neglect Mom and Sister Bing Rong." Sheughed softly. "Well, she''s not wrong, they also miss you while cultivating in seclusion. But for now..." She trailed off, her fingers tracing circles on his chest. "We still have a little time before the day truly begins." He raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Oh? And how do you think we should spend it?" She leaned closer, her lips brushing against his ear as she whispered, "Perhaps a morning cultivation session?" He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her soft waist. "Who am I to refuse such a tempting offer?" As they shared another deep and wet kiss, the world outside faded away. ¡­ The sun climbed higher, casting a bright light into the room. Eventually, they parted from each other as Shen Yuan took out his dick from her pink pussy with a plop sound as she was on her all fours while Shen Yuan stood behind her. Both feeling revitalized. Huo Rong sat straight as her pussy dripped with his cum, she stretched gracefully, reaching for her robes. "I suppose we should get ready," she said with a hint of reluctance. But Shen Yuan gently grabbed his hand, making Huo Rong look behind with a puzzled look on her face. Shen Yuan lewdly smiled and pointed downwards with his fingers, "Mind helping me out a bit here." He pointed towards his dick glistening with his cum and Huo Rong''s juices. Huo Rong smiled yfully as well, reaching for his dick with her fingers, "Of course, I won''t mind." She spoke in a sultry tone as she kneeled in front of him, grabbing his dick gently with her hand. She leaned forward slightly and brought her tongue out. Licking the tip of the remaining cum which dripped on the sides, she started cleaning it from the top. Chapter 138: Cherry Tree She carefully cleaned the tip, stretching her tongue out as she licked the rest of his dick clean. Meanwhile, Shen Yuan gently patted her head, feeling her soft tongue gliding over his skin. Soon, she stopped teasing him and took his entire dick deep into her mouth, her head bobbing up and down as she picked up the pace and sucked his dick. Shen Yuan''s eyes widened a bit in surprise as he held her head with both hands and started to shove his dick inside her throat. Huo Rong ced both of her hands on the back of his thighs for better grip and position. Before long, Shen Yuan felt his orgasm building, and with a low groan, he released his seed deep inside her mouth. "Haah¡­ looks like you were quite hungry, huh?" he teased breathlessly. Huo Rong licked him clean, letting his dick slide out of her mouth with a yful gleam in her eyes. A little bit of cum dripped from the corner of her mouth, which she licked away with a mischievous smile. "Hehe, I was indeed quite hungry for you. Now I feel satisfied," she replied, her voice sultry. She stood from the bed and stretchedzily, her body glistening from the morning''s activities. A little bit of his cum slid down her inner thigh, causing her to giggle softly as she felt her thighs getting wet. "You really released a lot this morning. Looks like you won''t have any trouble handling me, Bing Rong, and Master together." Shen Yuan''s face lit up with a lewd smile. "Hehe~ I wouldn''t mind taking on all three of you at once. I''m confident in my stamina. After all, I didn''t even lose to my mother, and her cultivation base is far higher than mine." Huo Rong paused, looking at him silently for a bit as she asked, "How was your first time with Master?" Shen Yuan looked at her and smiled, closing the distance before hugging her tightly, "No need to be jealous of her, I love you a lot as well, and you have an irreceable ce in my heart." Huo Rong''s heart fluttered with sweetness at his words, but deep down, she couldn''t help the small flicker of jealousy that burned in her chest due to not being his first time with her but instead he spent it with his mother. But with a little more thought she brushed it aside, knowing that no matter what, her bond with Shen Yuan was different and Shen Yuxin was not only Shen Yuan''s mother but also her Master and she didn''t mind it that much to share her love with her master. She soon calmed down and ced her head on his chest, feeling his warmth. After a while, she nodded softly as she didn''t press the issue. Shen Yuan also smiled gently looking at her. Still, while holding Huo Rong close, his mind briefly wandered back to the intensity of his dual cultivation with Shen Yuxin, her mature body and ripe ass offering a different kind of allure. He quickly shifted his focus back to the present, not wanting to dwell too long on theparison. He continued fantasizing for a bit when he felt Huo Rong gently leaving his embrace. He saw her looking at him with a downcast expression as she said, "It''s your first day inside the sect," she said with a soft sigh. "I''d love to show you around, but with Master and Bing Rong in seclusion, I''ve got so much work to do in their ce. Besides, me walking around with an outer sect disciple would stir up way too much attention." Shen Yuan nodded his head with a smile as he didn''t want to inconvenience her but he also agreed with her, "You don''t need to worry about me, I can look around just fine, but I would have liked it if you showed me around the sect haha." Huo Rong shook her head with a smile as she also didn''t want to leave, "Sigh¡­I didn''t think about this yesterday, otherwise I would have let Shuren take you around the sect." "As I said, don''t worry about it. I am not a kid that I would be lost inside of the sect," Shen Yuan said with a shake of his head, "I might even make new friends along the way, you don''t need to mind me." Huo Rong sharply looked at him, her eyes turning dangerously dark, "Hoh, already thinking of finding new girls? Since there are only female disciples then it looks like you are going after them huh." Shen Yuan smiled lightly as he leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead, "Hehe~ I''m kidding, don''t worry about me and just go do your work before meeting up again with me." Huo Rong closed her eyes for a second to feel his soft lips kiss her forehead before she turned around "Hmph! I won''t let you off the hook next time." Shen Yuan smiled as they both soon got dressed after Huo Rong cleaned their bodies with her techniques, "How convenient, I should also learn that sometime." Shen Yuan said in amazement while looking at her utilizing the water qi of the atmosphere to cleanse their bodies. Huo Rong smiled lightly at his words, "It''s a low-level technique that even Inner Sea realm cultivators can learn, you can buy it from any shop in the sect or exchange it in the treasure pavilion when you be an Inner Sect disciple. There''s more than just techniques in there¡ªartifacts, pills, you name it. It is the treasury of a Divine Level sect after all" Shen Yuan nodded in understanding but wasn''t impressed much as he had the treasury of the Pagoda Bearing Monarch with himself, but he had yet to check it out as they had been doing one thing from another so far. And soon, they both started walking toward the outside of the door. But Just before stepping out, Huo Rong paused. "Shen Yuan?" "Yes?" She leaned in and ced a soft kiss on his cheek. "Thank you¡ªfor everything." He smiled warmly. "No need for thanks between us." Huo Rong smiled sweetly before vanishing from the outside of the gate of his room, not even leaving the courtyard directly. He stood by the entrance of his room for a moment, savoring the moment for a bit longer thinking of their time together. The courtyard outside was quiet, bathed in the soft glow of morning light. He stepped out of his room, feeling the fresh air of the mountain as he looked around his courtyard. To his left, there was a small pond with clear water reflecting the morning sun. On his right, a bamboo grove swayed gently with the wind. In the middle of the courtyard stood arge cherry tree, with a matid out beneath it for meditation. A stone path connected his room to the pond, the bamboo grove, and the cherry tree, creating a simple but bncedyout for his courtyard. The courtyard wasn''trge or luxurious by any means, but it was tranquil with a little bit of greenery along the stone path. Chapter 139: Contemplation His mind wandered as he walked on the stone path, feeling in the serene atmosphere. He thought about the history of the sect that he had gathered in the city, even though it was only bits and pieces, they were proof of the ancient heritage of the sect. He soon came before the cherry tree after wandering around his courtyard for a bit,its delicate pink blossoms swaying gently with the breeze. He fell in a momentary trance while observing the cherry tree. He thought back to thest trial that he had to go through during the Pagoda Trials, reminiscing about those lives he lived, but he soon realized that something was amiss with those lives. He shook his head as he felt the serene atmosphere around him once again. He took out a chair and a small table from his storage ring, cing them beneath the cherry tree''s wide canopy. He settled on the chairfortably, feeling himself calming down with the gentle winds and the faint scent of the falling cherry leaves. He decided to rest for a moment as he closed his eyes, lying with his back on the chair. After a while, he opened his eyes and decided to retrieve a gourd of alcohol and a few cups from his storage ring, he opened the stopper of the gourd and poured himself a cup. He brought it to his lips, savoring the exotic taste of the alcohol as he leaned back and sipped leisurely. ''That trial..'' he thought to himself after drinking a few cups of wine. ''That trial was really weird, it felt as if it was real yet gave the feeling of it being a false reality.'' He mused to himself for quite some time while enjoying the liquor. Seemingly hearing his inner muttering, a familiar voice echoed inside his mind. [Shen Yuan,] Yue Lan''s voice chimed in softly as if wondering what he was pondering about Shen Yuan set his cup down on the table, a faint smile ying on his lips. "Yue Lan," he murmured in a soft voice before his expression turned serious, "We need to discuss that trial¡­" He leaned back on the chair, knowing that the conversation would be a long one as he had many doubts. [Sure, what do you want to know about that trial?] Yue Lanzily asked, seemingly knowing the answers to all of his questions. "That Dao Heart trial¡­ I know we have already talked about it before but I want to get some answers about it. I feel like I''m slowly forgetting the lives that I lived inside the trial, almost as if my memory is vanishing." He asked his first doubt simply. [That''s because whatever you experienced inside was false, whatever you see in that trial was a result of your own imagination, it was your Dao Heart who manifested those worlds. That''s why you will soon forget those memories as they were never true ones, and this is better for you as those life memories will restrict your path too much.] Shen Yuan contemted her answer for a bit, thinking about the various lives he had lived inside of that false reality. "Then why do I feel like I can improve my intents andprehend new intents if I enter seclusion for some time?" He asked as he looked at his right hand, feeling new intents beginning to take shape. [That is all due to your own monstrousprehension, otherwise, a normal cultivator would have his soul shattered by just trying to survive that many lives.] "But why did I only gain so few benefits after going through that many lives? I thought I underwent nirvana or something after looking at so many deaths." He chuckled softly as he asked the question which bugged him the most. [You really are greedy huh. There were not supposed to be any rewards from that experience, because the level of that treasure was not high enough to replicate the higher level intents than what the trial taker has already mastered. But it indeed enhanced your mental fortitude beyond limits.] She paused as if calcting something, [I doubt even the 5th level of something like bewitchment intent can affect your mind even if you don''t protect it. And you didn''t even die in most of your lives but instead shattered the world to break free from the illusion, so you haven''t died as many times as you think.] Shen Yuan thought for a second in silence before responding, "Seems like wasted effort to me honestly. I really thought I would gain something exceptional." Yue Lan felt like pping his mouth, [You already have unimaginable gifts, themon people can wish for their entire life and still won''t get a a single percent of your fortune. The real rewards of this trial will be shownter in your journey when you break through to the Transcending Tribtion Stage.] Shen Yuan scratched the back of his head as he felt what Huo Rong said was correct. He grabbed the gourd of wine and took a big gulf from it, "Puaah! You are right, now I should focus on what I have in front of me. On we go to explore this garden full of flowers." He stood up and said heroically when Yue Lan''szy voice sounded, [...and thorns.] Shen Yuan felt his eyes twitch a little but he ignored herment and started walking towards the exit. Yue Lan thought to herself, ''Good, his personality didn''t change much even after going through that many lives, he still has his youthful brilliance in him. Otherwise, it would be hard to increase his Harem hehe~'' As Shen Yuan stepped out of his courtyard, the morning sunlight bathed the entire outer sect in a soft golden glow., "It''s going to be noon soon now," He looked around at the absolutely massive outer sect, "How massive is this sect anyways, I had to take multiple spatial portals just to visit the Radiant Heart Peak. And there are spatial portals in the outer sect as well to visit one ce to another." But he soon spotted a portal some distance away from him, being guarded by disciples as they collected spirit stones to allow disciples ess to the spatial portal. Shen Yuan smirked slightly, thinking how convenient it was to have these portals around, "This ce is another level, no wonder it reached its current heights of being one of the most prestigious sects of the entire Eastern Deste Region." As he walked towards the portal, he saw a few female disciples chatting among themselves. They stole a few nces in his direction, seemingly flustered at having a male disciple inside the sect with them. He ignored their nces as he headed toward the portal, he knew it would be amon urrence from now on as they would wonder about his presence inside the sect. The guarding disciples nced at each other, thinking where this new male disciple would like to go. Shen Yuan soon stood in front of the portal, admiring its exquisite design as he saw the runes softly glowing from time to time. Just then, a female disciple took a step forward and asked him in a polite tone, "Where would you like to go from here?" Chapter 140: Wan Ling Shen Yuan finally settled his gaze on the female disciple when he heard her asking, ''Hmm¡­they seem weing enough to me even though I am a male disciple.'' He inwardly thought while observing the disciples. "I want to visit the training grounds." He answered her politely with a smile on his face. The surrounding younger disciples blushed a little looking at his charming smile, seemingly seeing someone as handsome as him for the first time in their life. The guard disciple''s cheeks also turned a little rosy as she replied, "Yes, you can use spirit stones to use the spatial gate." She told him after pointing at the prices at the side, Shen Yuan nodded and handed her the spirit stones before heading inside the portal leading toward the training ground. Shen Yuan felt the familiar spatial fluctuations once again, this time much clearer than before as if the Space intent was already in his grasp. But before he could grasp itpletely, he felt his feet touching the solid ground as he reached the training grounds. The spatial gate behind him closed as he looked around to see several guard disciples observing him curiously. But they didn''te forward to question him as the word about his presence in the sect had already spread around. Shen Yuan also didn''t mind them and walked out of the spatial portal, walking on the path toward the training ground of the outer sect. He could see a few pagodas standing at the center of the training grounds from quite some distance away. Disciples were entering and leaving the training ground, casting curious nces at him. Shen Yuan made his way towards the training grounds, his gaze still fixed on the few pagodas standing in the center, wondering what use they have since their design was quite simr to the Ancestral Pagoda''s design. He soon entered the training grounds, it had an impressiveyout, private rooms for disciples to choose from, sparring rooms for training sessions, and a guidance hall where senior disciples share their experience or guide the younger disciples. Sometimes even outer elderse to guide the disciples there. This was the perfect ce for growing as it had that unique atmosphere of improvement around it. The ce buzzed with activity as Shen Yuan strolled around. As he observed his surroundings for a while, he noticed something¨C or rather someone off to the side. A small figure was sitting alone under a tree, away from all the active disciples who were either training together or chatting. It was a young female disciple, seemingly an outcast among all the outer sect disciples as she sat there all alone. Her long green hair framed her delicate face, she sat there quietly, her hands resting on her chin as she watched the other disciples train. She seemed quite naive and innocent even among the other young disciples, as if she had left her home for the first time. Shen Yuan also wanted someone to ask a few questions as she seemed to be the perfect choice, he walked slowly towards her, his deliberate slow steps making little to no noise. The young disciple also didn''t notice him at first, seemingly lost in daydreaming while watching the other disciples sparring matches. He stopped a few steps away from her, observing her for a moment before speaking softly, "Enjoying the view?" he asked with a gentle tone in order to not startle the young disciple. "Enjoying the view?" he inquired with a gentle smile, his tone friendly. The girl nearly jumped in surprise, her eyes widening in surprise as she realized someone was standing right next to her. Her cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment as she quickly stood up and bowed slightly, "Oh, I''m sorry! I didn''t hear you approach¡­" Shen Yuan chuckled sightly and waved off her apology "No need to apologize. I didn''t mean to startle you like that." The young disciple raised her head as she finally saw that it was a male disciple, her eyes widened again but this time she wasn''t that surprised as she had already heard rumors about a male disciple joining the sect after passing the pagoda trial. "Y-y-you are that guy whopleted the pagoda trials?" She spoke with a voice filled with hesitation and excitement, making Shen Yuan amused as she answered her with a chuckle. "I''m indeed that guy," He paused, looking at her excited expression, "You seem quite excited to meet me, is there any particr reason for this?" Shen Yuan asked with a hint of amusement in his eyes. The young disciple''s face flushed with a pink shade as she shyly nodded her head and answered him, "I heard rumors about how youpleted the trials which no other disciple in the history of the sect has been able to pass. I have been looking forward to meeting with you ever since then. But I as well as many others thought that you would join as a core disciple." She paused as she raised her head a little to take a peek at his face before continuing, "That''s why I was surprised when the elders announced that you joined as an Outer Sect disciple instead of a Core disciple." Shen Yuan smiled lightly, "That''s because I wanted to be an outer sect disciple first. I want to experience the life of a normal sect disciple." The Young disciple raised her head and looked at him in confusion, "The life of a normal sect disciple?" "Indeed." Shen Yuan nodded confidently. "The life of a normal sect disciple as the only male outer sect disciple of an all-female sect?" She innocently questioned him, making his eyes twitch. "...Close enough." He chuckled softly, then cleared his throat to change the subject, "Anyways, my name is Shen Yuan. We will be meeting a lot from now on." The young disciple hurriedly nodded her head, "Ah yes, sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Wan Ling. It''s a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She formally introduced herself. Shen Yuan''s face turned a little nostalgic hearing her name, "Ling, hmm." "Is something wrong with my name?" She asked him curiously looking at his weird expression. "Ah, no, it''s nothing," Shen Yuan smiled softly, his eyes shing briefly with nostalgia. "Just... some old memories." He shook it off. "Anyway, it''s nice to meet you, Wan Ling," he spoke with a gentle tone. Wan Ling nodded her head politely while her cheeks turned a little pink from feeling ttered. "Oh, by the way, do you know the purpose of those pagodas? They seem somewhat like the Trial Pagoda which I took to enter the sect." He finally asked for what he approached her. Wan Ling nodded her head and replied, "Those pagodas are indeed an imitation of what you went through. But they are far too inferiorpared to that from what I heard as other Sect''s disciples also underwent these trials." She continued, "They were made by our sect ancestors a long time ago, trying to mimic the trials of the pagoda. But because they never went inside the pagoda, they could only create it by what they heard about it from the disciples who underwent the trial." Chapter 141: Pagodas Shen Yuan nodded his head as he now had a rough idea about their history, "So, why are there five of them? Did they make multiple of them? Or did they make one pagoda per level?" Wan Ling nodded with approval, "You are half correct, the elders could only replicate the first four levels of the Trial Pagoda, and another pagoda for ranking battles of the outer sect." "Oh? They couldn''t replicate that shitty beast wave level?" Shen Yuan asked curiously. "The fifth level is a beast wave trial?" Wan Ling asked back curiously. "Huh? Shouldn''t you know this as a disciple of this sect?" Shen Yuan raised his eyebrow and asked. "The trials of the higher levels are known only by the inner sect disciples or elders. I know of the first four trials due to their pagoda being erected here." She replied to his question. "Hmm¡­ make sense. And yes, the fifth level is a beast wave level. There is nearly an infinite amount of beasts on that level." He shook his head remembering his time on that level. "I nearly died from exhaustion on that level." Wan Ling''s eyes shined with admiration, "But you stillpleted the trial. It''s honestly unbelievable that I''m talking with someone who has cleared that Impossible trial." Shen Yuan smiled lightly and changed the subject as he gazed at the pagodas, "Why are 4 of the pagodas only 4 floors high? And the center one is 7 floors high?" Wan Ling answered him, "The four floors of those four smaller pagodas are respectively for Body Forging Realm, Qi Gathering Realm, Foundation Establishment Realm, and Inner Sea Realm. After that, the disciples can take the test to enter the Inner Sect. As for the central pagoda which is 7 floors tall, it''s the battle pagoda where disciples are ranked based on their strength." She paused to remember something and continued, "The floors are divided by the ranking of disciples: 1- 1000-700 2- 700-500 3- 500-300 4- 300-200 5- 200-100 6- 100-50 7- 50-1 Shen Yuan listened to her carefully and remembered all the details. "I see, thanks for the info, Wan Ling." He said with a gentle smile. Wan Ling''s cheeks flushed with a shade of crimson as she lowered her head. "What are you going to do now?" She asked in a voice as low as a mosquito. "Well, now that I''m here, might as well try one of those pagodas. Let''s see how theypare against the real thing." Shen Yuan said while stretching his arms. Wan Ling''s eyes lit up in excitement as she raised her head and spoke enthusiastically, "Yay! I would love to see you in action. I can''t wait to see how those disciples who doubted your strength will react." Shen Yuan chuckled softly looking at her reaction, "Alright, let''s go. I will go the the pagoda of the first floor." Wan Ling nodded her head and led the way forward excitedly, "Here, it''s that one." She pointed in the distance at the first pagoda. Soon they reached it as Shen Yuan read its name, "Pagoda of Crushing Steps." The surrounding disciples who were already gathered there looked in his direction curiously. "The ancestor who created this pagoda gave it this name, how is it?" Wan Ling asked him curiously as he was one of the few who underwent the trial and sessfully passed it. "It''s truly a fitting name, the trial is exined clearly with the name alone." Shen Yuan praised the naming sense of the pagoda creator. The disciples there smiled and agreed with him as they had already undergone the trial. Shen Yuan looked to the side as there was a ranking board ced there, with disciple''s names on it. Shen Yuan''s eyes scanned the ranking board with interest, his gaze stopped on the names at the top. The list disyed the names of the top-ranking disciples who hadpleted the "Pagoda of Crushing Steps" trial, along with the time it took for them to pass each level. The top three names stood out to him: 1- Jin Ling - Completed in 1 hour 44 minutes 2- Feng Yu - Completed in 1 hour 51 minutes 3- Mei Xin - Completed in 1 hour 53 minutes Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow at the time. ''Huh, they did pretty well considering the difficulty of the trials.'' Wan Ling noticed him looking at the ranking board as she chimed in, "Those three at the top are the strongest disciples in the outer sect currently. Jin Ling is said to be on the verge of breaking into the Inner Sea Realm, while Feng Yu and Mei Xin are already halfway through. They''re considered the cream of the crop among the outer sect disciples. Some Elders even said they might be Core Disciples in the future." Shen Yuan nodded thoughtfully, "It''s indeed impressive how far they have reached with only Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation. Whoever can have such a high record with this level of cultivation base can only be described as a prodigy." He spoke and the surrounding disciples and Wan Ling couldn''t help but agree with him. "They must be one in a million genius to have such good results at their age." He continued praising them and the disciples nodded excitedly, not expecting this new male disciple to know the reality. "I don''t think there are even such prodigies in other Divine Rank sects¡­" He praised them for a bit more as if he was showing his admiration towards them. "Yes, he is right." "Only our sect has such prodigies." "Kyaa! Senior Sister Jin Ling is invincible!" ¡­ Meanwhile, Wan Ling looked at him in confusion, she didn''t get the impression that he was such an admirer of top disciples. "Alright, I should also try out the trial." He said as he stepped toward the pagoda. The crowd got silent all of a sudden as if wondering something. "Is that the male disciple whopleted the real pagoda trial?" "Do you think he''ll try to break the record?" "No way, even Jin Ling struggled with the Crushing Steps Pagoda." "Hey, how high do you think his score will be?" One beautiful disciple asked another as the discussions broke loose. Seeing the rowdy crowd, Wan Ling also gathered her courage as she took a deep breath and encouraged Shen Yuan, "Good Luck, Senior Brother Shen Yuan! You can do it." The other disciples looked over to see who encouraged Shen Yuan at this point, but they didn''t recognize her as her presence was next to zero. Wan Ling also shrank her neck when she felt the gazes of everyone gathered on her. Shen Yuan smiled when he heard her encouraging words, he waved his hand toward her without turning and soon entered the first floor of the pagoda. ¡­ Inside the Pagoda, as the familiar pressure surrounded him, Shen Yuan barely noticed it. ''Is this all it is?'' he thought, a wry smile forming on his lips. Compared to the real trial, this felt like child''s y to him. He soon shook his head as he looked around at the vast nds "Hmm, the design is pretty much the same," the nds seemingly stretched for a seemingly endless distance as he started walking, "But much smaller with weaker pressure as well." Chapter 142: New Physique He spoke as he could already feel the end of the floor. As he continued to move forward, the pressure increased bit by bit, but he had to concentrate to feel the pressure on his body as the pressure wasn''t even able to pierce his natural aura. He didn''t walk faster or try to beat any record, he simply walked leisurely while looking around the surroundings, this time he noticed that there were quite a few things in the vastnd, like some stone sculptures, monuments, etc. But he didn''t feel anything special about them, only faint traces of qi so he ignored them and soon reached the end of the floor. Don''t miss out on m-vl-em-pyr "Well, this was quite an easy floor." He shook his head with a smile as he looked back at the floor. He soon headed on to the next floor and it seemed the same to him with a little bit of additional pressure. He looked ahead and started walking on the path again. ¡­ Outside the pagoda, the crowd of disciples had grown evenrger. The disciples were still discussing how much time it would take him toplete the trial. "I wonder how long it''s going to take him," one disciple spoke to herself, her arms crossed above her bountiful chest as she observed the pagoda. "Well, he''s the guy who cleared the Ancestral Pagoda trial," another chimed in. "But still, this is different. The pressure builds up so gradually that even Jin Ling struggled with thest floor." A third disciple nodded in agreement as she hopped over to their side. "Yeah, and the top 10 barely scraped through. They''re all monsters in their own right, but the Crushing Steps pagoda isn''t as simple as brute strength. You need a calm mind and bnced body to clear just the first level." Wan Ling stood on the sidelines, still flushed from her earlier conversation with Shen Yuan. She was also curious how much time it would take him to finish the trial, as the thought of him failing didn''t even cross her mind. She felt a sense of pride watching the surrounding disciples discussing about Shen Yuan. It was clear that everyone was as curious as her, but none of them understood the sheer absurdity of Shen Yuan''s strength. "So, how much time do you think he''ll take?" one of the older disciples asked, her voice full of curiosity. A younger disciple pondered for a moment before saying, "Well, Jin Ling took one hour and forty-four minutes. I''d say Shen Yuan coulde close to that but probably won''t surpass it. He mightnd around Mei Xin''s time¡ªone hour and fifty-three minutes." The older disciple scoffed lightly. "You''re underestimating him. He passed the Ancestral Pagoda trial, remember? That thing is leagues ahead of this. But still... surpassing Jin Ling seems impossible. Maybe second ce, likeFeng Yu''s time¡ªone hour and fifty-one minutes or a bit higher than that." A few of the disciples nodded, seeming to agree with the assessment. "Yeah, that seems about right," another disciple chimed in. "If he''s really as strong as they say, he could probably finish between Jin Ling and Feng Yu. But breaking Jin Ling''s record? That''s a different level entirely." "Yes, after all, Jin Ling is one of the few prodigies to have both Earthly Physique and Earthly Bloodline, she is bound to reach the peak sooner orter." Wan Ling, overhearing the conversations, couldn''t help but smile softly. She also didn''t know how much time he would take toplete it, but she had faith in him that he would surely surpass Jin Ling''s score. He just had that calm and confident air about him that gave the impression that he wasn''t trying to prove anything to anyone. He just¡­was. "Well, I think second or third ce is a safe bet," one of the older disciples concluded. "If he surprises us and takes first, then... well, we''ll see." ¡­ Shen Yuan had already crossed the second level and was starting the third level, "Oh, I can finally feel the pressure on my body now, so this was supposed to be the level for Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators. No wonder those disciples took so long to clear the pagoda, the pressure here can immobilize any Inner Sea realm cultivator from the outside world." He observed the ce as he walked further on it. He couldn''t help but praise those disciples sincerely after feeling the pressure of the third floor, "Those disciples are really monsters to be able toplete this pagoda''s trial." [As if you aren''t the biggest monster around.] Yue Lan''szy voice sounded in his head, making him smile as he shook his head. "You can''tpare me to the disciples here. I''m just built different." He replied with a smug grin on his face. Yue Lan didn''t respond as what he said was indeed correct, he was one of the most talented cultivators in the history of this world. "Anyway, I think I would need to learn the technique of this sect pretty soon, any idea how I can cultivate a different cultivation technique while training with the Primordial Vessal Cultivation Art?" He asked her what was bugging him since he saw the disciples cultivating the sect''s techniques. [You can buy a particr physique from the system''s shop to make that possible.] Yue Lan replied as if it was no big problem. Shen Yuan''s eyes sparked with excitement, his mind filled with endless possibilities. "Wait, are you telling me there''s a physique that can do that?" [Yes, but you can''t afford those currently.] She replied in a teasing voice, making Shen Yuan annoyed, "...Then why did you say I can buy it from the system shop?" He just rolled his eyes and asked calmly. [Oho, quite a quick one to catch that huh? Well, that''s because there is a physique that can let you do that with the help of your False Chaos Physique and Primordial Vessal Cultivation Art.] She replied seriously for once as Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up in excitement when he heard that, "Yes! That''s what I was asking about." Heughed a little and muttered to himself, "A physique that can let me cultivate multiple techniques simultaneously with the help of my False Chaos Physique and Primordial Vessal Cultivation Art¡­ Sounds like a perfect cheat," She manifested in front of him, making him stop in his tracks as she spoke seriously, [You need to be aware of a few things first before you walk down this path, Shen Yuan.] Hearing her serious voice, Shen Yuan also got serious as he asked, "What are those things?" [First, let''s talk about how that physique will work. It will modify your current body a little and will make it possible to cultivate a different cultivation technique in each of your 365 acupoints, this is possible only with the Primordial Vessal Cultivation Art which made 365 artificial dantains in your body.] But before Shen Yuan could get excited about the potential of the physique, she continued so as to not cause any misunderstanding. [But there is a slight problem here. You see if you do not fill up all 365 of your acupoints with techniques, then you won''t be able to ascend to a higher ce of existence.] Chapter 143: Clearing the Pagoda Shen Yuan''s eyelids twitched as he heard what she said, "You want me to cultivate 366 cultivation techniques at once? How long will that take me? Millions or Billions of years?" Yue Lan coughed slightly in embarrassment when she felt Shen Yuan''s piercing gaze on her, [Cough, I just gave you choices, it''s up to you whether you want to buy the physique or not. And with yourprehension ability, I''m fully confident that you can master those techniques before you die of old age.] Shen Yuan felt like drawing his sword but he knew it was futile as he instead continued staring at her. [Alright, alright, I was just joking with you. I''m sure with my capabilities and your ability, you will master those techniques in no time, if you ever feel likecking inprehension talent then just buy it from the shop.] She finished speaking and turned into particles before vanishing from the scene as her voice echoed in his mind, [We will talk more about this after you finish this pagoda.] Shen Yuan shook his head and started walking again, "Well, now I need to make ns for that physique as well. I can open up a lot of paths which I deemed impossible in the past due to my technique restraints." He spoke aloud while walking straight ahead. [Just remember that whatever technique you decide to cultivate, Primordial Vessal Cultivation Art will be your foundational technique, it will be the foundation of the rest of your techniques. The rest will at most be supporting cultivation techniques.] Yue Lan reminded him to not make himzy and to focus on his main cultivation art. Shen Yuan nodded his head, "I''m not that stupid, don''t worry about it. Though I must say, I didn''t encounter this physique or knew that Primordial Vessal Cultivation Art can do this in any of the lives I had inside the Dao Heart Trial." [That''s because you didn''t think that it was possible. Those worlds reflected your own knowledge which you already have, they didn''t create anything new.] Yue Lan exined simply as she was already getting tired from the topic of that Dao Heart trial. Shen Yuan smiled lightly as if he felt her getting tired of the topic, "Well that seems to be the case." He soon reached the end of the third floor as the pressure didn''t even manage to slow down his steps. "Well, that''s the third one down. I wonder what the fourth has in store," Shen Yuan mused as he casually stepped onto the final floor of the pagoda. The pressure instantly increased, making him raise an eyebrow, "Now that I feel it, there are no protective barriers around the entrance or exit of the floors on this pagoda. Looks like Pagoda Bearing Monarch was still more merciful to leave us some breathing space." He chuckled softly after speaking to himself. The surroundings on the fourth floor were different. Instead of an empty field with a few trinkets here and there, this floor hadrge stone pirs scattered across the area, each glowing faintly with runes shing on them. Shen Yuan could tell those pirs were increasing the weight on this floor by multiple times as he casually moved towards one such pir to take a closer look. "Formations, Arrays, Runes¡­such wonderful arts. I should look into them if I get the timeter." He muttered to himself after observing the intricate formation carved on the stone pirs. But he soon shook his head and started walking again as there was no point in looking at these formations for now. He soon neared the end of the fourth floor, "This challenge was unsurprisingly underwhelming huh. It wasn''t even enough as a warm-up for me." He shook his head as he crossed the fourth floor entirely, at the end of the floor, a soft glow surrounded his body as he was teleported back to the first floor. "Well¡­that was uneventful." He muttered to himself as he stepped towards the exit of the pagoda. ¡­ Outside the pagoda, the crowd had grown restless with anticipation after discussing for a while about him. The disciples who had been specting how long Shen Yuan would take were now eagerly waiting for him to exit the pagoda, while some were still in discussion about their earlier predictions. "It''s already been a while," one disciple muttered, ncing at the entrance with furrowed brows. "He must be on the second or third floor by now." "Well, we''ll know soon enough," another disciple replied, her voice filled with curiosity and anticipation. "Even if he doesn''t beat Jin Ling''s record, he''s bound to get a high rank." Wan Ling stood by the side, looking at the pagoda with hopeful eyes. She hadn''t voiced it earlier but deep down, she had a feeling that Shen Yuan would surpass all of their expectations. She had that much faith in him. Suddenly, the doors of the pagoda opened, and the entire crowd went silent as Shen Yuan calmly stepped out of the pagoda, unlike the other disciples who got out as if they were half dead already, his face showed no sign of tiredness. Almost as if he went to take a stroll inside. He looked asposed as when he had entered. "What? Already?" someone gasped in disbelief. "How... how long has it been?" another disciple shuttered, her eyes wide with shock. A few disciples immediately rushed to the ranking board where Shen Yuan''s name had been updated. The moment they saw the time, gasps and murmurs spread through the crowd like wildfire. "Eight minutes?!" one disciple shouted in disbelief. "No way!" another eximed. "He cleared all four floors in just eight minutes? That''s impossible!" "Impossible or not, it''s right there on the ranking board," a senior disciple said in disbelief, pointing at Shen Yuan''s name now sitting firmly at the top of the board, far ahead of Jin Ling''s record. Wan Ling''s face lit up in excitement. She didn''t think much of what his current ranking represented as she was just happy for him. She knew he would do something extraordinary, but this was well beyond even her expectations. "He finished each floor in just two minutes¡­" a disciple muttered, staring at the board in awe. "That''s ridiculous. No one''s evere close to that!" Another senior disciple spoke in bewilderment when she noticed something amiss, "Wait, he took two minutes for each floor, that means he didn''t even try his best and just took a stroll inside." "What a damn monster." Another muttered to herself, feeling doubtful about her talent or even if she was worthy to cultivate in the same sect as him. The crowd erupted into murmurs of astonishment and disbelief. They had expected Shen Yuan to perform well, but surpassing Jin Ling''s record by such a wide margin was something no one had even considered. Shen Yuan stood at the pagoda''s entrance, watching the crowd''s reaction with a faint smile. He wasn''t particrly interested in their shock, but it was amusing to see nheless. But then he saw some disciples'' demotivated expression, which made him contemte his actions for a moment. He knew what happened to them but the question was, should he do something about this? Or let the elders handle it? Chapter 144: Speech ''Well, if I need to build up my reputation either way, why not start from here.'' He stepped ahead from the pagoda and came in front of the disciples, sweeping his gaze among them with a serious expression. "Everyone," he began, his voice calm yet filled with seriousness, "I can see some of you looking down on yourself, or bing uncertain about your abilities after seeing my performance." The murmurs among the crowd died down as they focused their gazes on him. "But let me tell you this," Shen Yuan continued after gathering the disciple''s attention, "Talent, strength, and natural ability are just one part of the path we walk on as cultivators. What truly defines us is our determination, our perseverance, and the effort we put into oveing our own limitations." He paused, letting his words sink in. "When I first started my journey, I faced challenges that seemed insurmountable, There were times when I doubted myself, whether I was worthy of my gifts, or if I would ever measure up to the expectations that my family set on me. But I didn''t let those feelings stop me. Instead, I used those feelings as motivation to fuel my will towards improving myself." Some of the disciples exchanged nces, their expressions softening as they listened intently. "Each of you has your own strengths and weaknesses," Shen Yuan went on. "Comparing yourself to others can be disheartening, but remember that everyone''s path is unique. What matters most is not how to measure up against someone else, but rather to surpass your current self and never stop improving." He gestured towards the pagoda behind him. "This trial is a tool for growth, a way to test your limits and learn from them. Use it to better yourself, not to chase away some empty fame at rankings that won''t even matter much in the future. The fact that you have been epted by the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect speaks volumes of your own potential. Any single one of you can dominate the normal cultivators of the outside world at the same level." He paused as the weight of his words settled in, "But does that mean they all should stop cultivating when they can never reach the height of sect disciples? No. They should strive to work even harder to catch up with those who have more resources than they will every their eyes on." Wan Ling watched him with admiration, her eyes shining like jewels. The surrounding disciples seemed to stand a little taller, their expressions shifting from discouragement to thoughtful determination for improvement. "Remember." Shen Yun spoke in an encouraging tone, "Even the greatest masters were once novice cultivators. They became who they are through relentless effort and an unyielding Dao Heart. Don''t let temporary setbacks orparisons deter you from pursuing your goals." A young disciple stepped forward, her eyes filled with a renewed spark of energy. "Senior Brother Shen Yuan," she said hesitantly, "do you really believe that we can reach great heights through hard work, even if we aren''t as naturally gifted?" Shen Yuan gave her a reassuring smile and spoke earnestly, "Absolutely. Natural talent can give someone a headstart, but it''s dedication and perseverance that carry them till the end. Cultivation is a long journey, as long as someone lives long enough to walk on it, then that someone is bound to be stronger than the rest." Another disciple spoke up. "But how do we stay motivated when progress seems slow?" "Set small, achievable goals," Shen Yuan advised with a soft smile. "Celebrate your sesses, no matter how minor they may seem. Surround yourself with supportive peers who will lift you in your high time and give you a shoulder to lean on at your lowest. And do not be afraid to seek guidance from your Seniors or Mentors. Every little step forward is progress which will make all the differenceter." The atmosphere among the disciples began to lighten as Shen Yuan managed to lift their spirits. Shen Yuan concluded his speech with a gentle nod. "I look forward to seeing all of you improve and surpass your current self. Perhaps one day, we''ll stand side by side as equals." The crowd erupted into apuse, the sound filled with genuine respect and appreciation. Wan Ling pped enthusiastically, her face glowing with pride. "Thank you, Senior Brother Shen Yuan!" several voices called out. He gave a modest smile and stepped back, allowing the disciples to contemte his words and return to their training. As the crowd began to disperse, Wan Ling approached him. "That was absolutely amazing," she said softly. "You really inspired them with your speech." Shen Yuan nced at her, his eyes turning warm at her innocence. "I just shared what I''ve learned along my journey. Everyone needs a little encouragement now and then." She nodded thoughtfully. "Still, not everyone would take the time to lift others up. You''re not only strong but also kind. And I also never expected you to be so experienced when you look so young." He chuckled lightly. "Kindness costs nothing, but it can mean everything to someone who needs it. As for my experience, as the predecessors have said, it is better to travel 10,000 miles than to read 10,000 books." Wan Ling smiled brightly. "You''re right." Just then, a group of disciples approached them. The disciple in the front of the group had a unique air about her. "Shen Yuan, correct?" She called out, her expression a mix of curiosity and respect. "Yes, that is indeed me." Shen Yuan answered as he turned toward her, and followed with a question, "And who might you be?" Wan Ling gently nudged him from behind and whispered, "She is senior sister Mei Xin, Senior Brother Shen Yuan." She softly smiled hearing Wan Ling''s whispering, acknowledging her words as she nodded her head, "Let me introduce myself. I am Mei Xin, one of the outer sect disciples of Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect." She was one of the top-ranked disciples who had previously held the third position on the ranking board. Shen Yuan nodded her head, "I am Shen Yuan." he introduced himself and continued, "How may I be of help to you?" "Shen Yuan," Mei Xin began, "Your strength ismendable to be able toplete the trial in under 8 minutes. But even more so, your words were¡­inspiring. Even I got motivated to work harder after hearing them. I was really feeling down after seeing you surpass my record by so much, so I really appreciate your words." He smiled lightly and nodded, "Thank you for your high praise, Mei Xin." "Have you already reached the Origin Core Creation Realm?" She asked curiously as she thought his cultivation must have been far higher if he was able to clear the pagoda in such little time. Shen Yuan smiled in amusement, "No, I have yet to break through to the Inner Sea Realm. I''m at the peak of Foundation Establishment Realm currently." Mei Xin, Wan Ling, and the other disciple''s eyes widened in shock when they heard his cultivation base. All this time, everyone thought his cultivation base must be high since he was able to clear the Ancestral Pagoda, but the reality was the opposite as he had cleared the pagoda at merely Foundation Establishment Realm. They started wondering how high his battle powers will rise when he reach a higher level of cultivation base, which only made them shudder in horror as he would reach an iprehensible level. Chapter 145: Return to Courtyard "Unbelievable." Mei Xin muttered to herself in disbelief, she was still suspicious about his cultivation base, not being able to believe someone could be so strong at such a low cultivation base. She thought long and hard about how someone could be so strong but after not being able toe to a conclusion she decided not to think about it further for now. She studied him for a moment as if appreciating a monster before speaking, "I was wondering if you might be interested in joining us for a sparring session sometime. It would be beneficial for us to learn from each other." Shen Yuan looked at her with amusement, wondering what he could learn from them but he still agreed nheless as he wanted to form connections in the sect, "Sure, I would like to do that as well. Sharing techniques and learning together is the core of any sect. Mei Xin smiled, seemingly pleased with his response. "Well said, you truly are a wise one. We usually gather at the sparring grounds in the mornings if we aren''t in seclusion. You''re wee to join us anytime." "I''ll be sure to stop by," he replied with a smile. Soon, Mei Xin and her followers left, leaving Wan Ling alone with Shen Yuan as she looked at him with excitement, "You are already forming connections with the top disciples!" He shrugged nonchntly with a smug grin on his face, "It''s not me who is forming the connections, but her. She knows about my potential; that''s why she took the first chance she got to introduce herself." He looked at her with a teasing smile, "Looks like you are underestimating me eh?" Wan Ling got flustered as she hurriedly waved her hands, "Wha¡ªno, no, you got me wrong. I just thought since they are the top disci-" Shen Yuan put his palm on her head and patted her lightly, "I''m joking, no need to get so worked up," he chuckled softly looking at her expression Wan Ling''s cheeks puffed up as she turned her head to the other side, ''Hehe~ I can''t have enough of teasing her.'' Shen Yuan thought inwardly looking at her cute expression. They walked in the training ground for a bit. "By the way," he said, turning to face her fully. "Would you like to train with me sometime? I noticed you were watching the other disciples'' training. Perhaps we can train together." Wan Ling''s eyes widened in surprise. ''Me? Train with you?'' She inwardly panicked, not knowing how to handle the situation, but Shen Yuan''s words soon calmed her down. "Why not?" he asked casually. "Everyone starts somewhere, and I''d be happy to help you if you''re interested." A rosy blush spread across her cheeks. "I... I''d like that very much." "Great," Shen Yuan said with a genuine smile. "Let''s meet up tomorrow morning at the training grounds. We will begin our training from tomorrow." She nodded eagerly. "I''ll be there!" Shen Yuan smiled seeing her agree. They continued to walk for a bit when Shen Yuan stopped and said, "Let''s meet up tomorrow, I still need to meditate to solidify my foundation." Wan Ling''s expression turned a bit downcast as she heard his words, but she still nodded her head, "En, Let''s train tomorrow in the morning." Shen Yuan looked at her sad expression and patted her head, "Why are you turning sad already? We will meet tomorrow as well." Wan Ling raised her head a little, looking him in the eye, "That''s because you''re my first friend inside the sect. Ever since I joined, I haven''t been able to make any friends. Due to my nature, I couldn''t interact with other disciples very well. And they also didn''t waste their time with me when they have thousands of options to choose who they interact from." Shen Yuan nodded thoughtfully hearing her words, "No wonder you are already in the Foundation Establishment Realm but little to no disciple know about you." "Ehhh, you can see my cultivation base??" Wan Ling''s eyes widened in surprise as she heard Shen Yuan''s words. Shen Yuan knocked on her head lightly, "Of course, I can see your cultivation base. You forgot who I am?" Wan Ling ced her hand on her head as she looked at him, "Ah, I forgot." Theyughed together for a bit before Shen Yuan turned around and waved his hand while walking away, "See you in the morning." ¡­ Shen Yuan walked leisurely back towards his courtyard, the sound of the training ground fading into the distance as he soon reached the spatial portal. His mind wandered to the events of the day, the main thing on his mind being his conversation with Yue Lan about his physique and the speech he gave to his disciples. [Being called ''Senior Disciple'' on your first day in the school eh. Nod bad Shen Yuan.] Yue Lan''s teasing voice sounded in his mind. Shen Yuan just shook his head with a smile, "It was bound to happen when I showed my strength. And there is nothing wrong with it. The strong get respected in the world of cultivation after all." [True, and that''s why you need to continue cultivation so you are not in a losing position among the monsters of this world.] Yue Lan paused as she shifted the topic, [But why did you choose to give that speech all of a sudden?] Shen Yuan smiled lightly, "I need to make a reputation for myself either way, and now with this, I can more easily get epted by the disciples and elders. The elders will be happy with me motivating the disciples and the disciples will look at me in a good light after my speech." Yue Lan contemted his words for a second, [Hmm¡­that was indeed a wise choice, the disciples will spread your word by the recordings they made with artifacts as well. You might gain much more poprity than you initially thought hehe.] Shen Yuan paused, not knowing that the disciples were recording him at that time. "Well well well, isn''t that quite a neat artifact, looks like I need to buy one for myself sometime." He smiled and changed the subject, "Anyways, let''s talk about the physique when I reach my courtyard." Yue Lan stopped talking and Shen Yuan also went through the portal to reach the location of the disciple''s lodging. ''Hmm¡­I''m pretty close toprehending the space intent. I should be able to master it in a few weeks to a month if I guessed correctly.'' He inwardly mused to himself. "Hoh, I didn''t see it before but there are quite a lot of courtyards around mine, looks like I won''t be spending my time in boredom all the time." He smiled and walked towards his courtyard. He opened the gates with his identity token and stepped inside the serene atmosphere of the courtyard weing him. "This already feels like home after only a single day." He took a deep breath as the fragrance of the cherry blossom filled him. The courtyard was silent with only the plum blossoms dropping on the ground asionally. Once inside, he went towards his chair ced beneath the plum blossom tree. He sits down on it, bringing out a tea set from his storage space. Chapter 146: Physique Integration "Nothing like sitting beneath a plum blossom tree and enjoying wine or tea." He said with a smile as he heated up the teapot while putting a few tea leaves in the hot water. As he waited for the tea to be prepared, he leaned back on the chair, resting his hands on his stomach, and closed his eyes. "Yue Lan," he called out, his voice calm andzy, "It''s about time to get that physique." Yue Lan''s equallyzy voice echoed back in his mind, [Oh, you finally remembered about it? I thought you wouldn''t even ask and would just drink your tea in peace.] "I never forgot about it, was just setting the mood for a chat," Shen Yuan replied with a smile, his eyes still closed as he rxed on his chair. "Let''s see the physique." [Good choice. You''ll find it in the shop under the ''Physiques'' option. I''ve already marked it for you.] The system''s screen manifested in front of him as he opened his eyes to gaze at it. It disyed the multiple options as he opened the Physiques section and countless physiques scrolled past until the screen settled on a particr section that Yua Lan marked. There, at the top of the list, was a physique¡ªChaotic Vessel Physique. [Chaotic Vessel Physique] [Grade: Supreme] [Description: The Chaotic Vessel Physique is a unique physique personally created by the system for Shen Yuan, designed toplement his False Chaos Physique and Primordial Vessel Cultivation art. This powerful physique allows Shen Yuan to cultivate up to 365 different cultivation techniques simultaneously, utilizing each of his acupoints as a separate dantian. [Price:500,000 Chaos Coins] Shen Yuan''s eyes shone when he read the details of the physique. It was perfect for his current need, he also felt sweet seeing how Yue Lan created it just for him. But he soon felt his lips twitching as he read the price of the physique, "Hey, Yue Lan¡­Did you mistakenly put an extra zero at the end of the price?" [No. It is the correct price after being discounted seeing how poor you are, after all, a Supreme Level physique is expensive.] "What the fuck! I remember the heavenly physique was merely 5000 Chaos Coins thest time you told me about it. How the hell is this physique so many times more expensive than that?" Shen Yuan cursed as he felt Yue Lan was scamming him. Yue Lan''s crafty voice sounded in his head, [Ahem, that was the price before the system got upgraded. Since you didn''t have many options to gain Chaos Coins from, the prices were reduced by a lot. But now that you can gain them without restrictions of any quests or something.] Shen Yuan got silent as he also knew Yue Lan was correct, he could gain points quite easily now, he just had to dual cultivate with his harem to get them now. Just then, the system''s voice sounded in his mind, [Are you sure you want to purchase Chaotic Vessel Physique for 500,000 points?] "Yes." He didn''t think about it further and confirmed the purchase. [Ding!] [Congrattions host, for acquiring Chaotic Vessel Physique.] [The Physique integration will start in 2 minutes, please be prepared as it might take a while.] Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, "Why is it taking so long this time? I don''t remember physiques taking this long to acquire." He said as he got up from his chair and sat on the mat in a meditative position with his leg folded. [That''s because you have never purchased a physique from the store before, and now that you have, its a Supreme Tier physique directly. This physique is special even among the Supreme Tier as it has been custom-made to suit your constitution. It will take some time to alter all of your acupoints to be suitable for cultivating techniques inside of them.] Yue Lan patiently exined the reason behind it taking time. Shen Yuan nodded his head in understanding as he took a deep breath, "Time to begin now." Shen Yuan closed his eyes and sat in a meditative position to wait for the integration to start, the world around him seemed to be still. The soft rustle of plum blossom ceased, and the very air grew thick with anticipation for what was toe. Suddenly, a subtle shift urred above his courtyard. The sky began to ripple ever so slightly despite being clear, almost as if something was stretching the very fabric of reality. Without warning, a faint, almost untraceable rift opened above Shen Yuan''s head, releasing an iprehensible wave of energy toward him. The level of energy seemed so far beyond what the mortal world could handle that it seemed a single wisp of it would destroy the whole realm. The energy seemed to be the source of everything, ancient and iprehensible, True Chaos Qi. Just then, Yue Lan''s voice echoed inside his mind, which seemed unusually serious than her normal yful andzy voice, [The integration process will now begin.] She didn''t say what the energy was The first wave True Chaos Qi descended upon Shen Yuan as Yue Lan guided the energy to not get leaked into the Mortal Realm. The energy weaved through his acupoints like invisible threads. Each of the 365 acupoints in his body lit up as if being submerged inside ofva, glowing faintly as they began to reshape into something much greater. They began the transformation to be dantians, vessels capable of holding not only massive amounts of qi but also various cultivation techniques simultaneously. The process was far from gentle. Shen Yuan''s entire body trembled as the chaotic energy coursed through him, tearing down the limitations of his physical form and reconstructing it to withstand the unimaginable burden of the Chaotic Vessel Physique. If someone else other than Shen Yuan dared to integrate the Chaotic Vessel Physique, then the best-case scenario would be him blowing into oblivion, as the physique was formed on the foundation of his False Chaos Physique and Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art. Any other physique or bloodline would get destroyed leaving a few exceptions. As the process continued, his muscles tensed, his bones vibrated, and his skin tingled as each acupoint was systematically transformed into mini-dantians. But he didn''t stop there as the second wave of Chaos True Qi descended upon him. But all of a sudden, his bloodline which had been dormant for so long stirred slightly, it began sucking the Chaos True Qi from the rift as the barrier connecting Shen Yuan and the rift destabilized a little, due to it a minuscule portion of it escaped the barrier into the mortal ne. That wisp of True Chaos Qi, eternal yet iprehensible, seeped into the entire mortal world in the blink of an eye, which was potent enough to alter the quality of the qi of all worlds in the Mortal ce. But due to its minuscule size and the absolute size of the mortal ne, the improvement was barely noticeable to any cultivator except those standing on the apex of the mortal ne. In worlds far beyond the understanding of most mortals, certain powerful beings felt the subtle shift in the qi. These beings, entities that had long transcended the mortal''s imagination, paused in their activities as they sensed the faint but unmistakable disturbance. Chapter 147 : True Chaos Qi In ancient pces and secluded realms across these countless higher worlds, cultivators of unimaginable power frowned as they looked towards Shen Yuan''s world, sensing a tiny ripple spreading from that location that affected the very fabric of the mortal ne. "What is this¡­" one ancient being, a powerful ancestor in a far-off immortal sect, murmured as he felt the Qi of his own world tremble ever so slightly. His eyes glowed with an ethereal light as he sought out the source, but the disturbance was too subtle, and together with Yue Lan''s interference he couldn''t locate its exact location. In another world, a woman d in flowing robes paused her cultivation and raised her eyes to the heavens. "A rift in the very fabric or the mortal ne¡­ but why can''t I trace the location of it? Has someone purposely concealed it?" In another location, a river floated in the void where an old man was fishing, he paused his actions and raised his head a little to look in Shen Yuan''s direction, his wrinkled face showed a solemn look as he muttered, "Someone actually managed to interfere with the very fabric of the mortal ne. Is the prophecy about toe true?" In the end, his voice held a hint of dread as he didn''t want to face what the future holds if the prophecy came true. Stay updated with m-v le-mpyr ¡­ Across infinite different worlds, a lot of supreme beings felt the subtle shift but couldn''t pinpoint the exact location, so they sent their disciples, n members, or guards to look at the situation. Even though these powerful beings could feel the subtle shift in the qi, they couldn''t pinpoint the source as the level of True Chaos Qi far outssed whatever they had encountered or imagined. Still, due to their curiosity, they took some measures to look out for any change in the situation. ¡­ Back in Shen Yuan''s courtyard, the True Chaos Qi continued to get devoured by Shen Yuan''s bloodline as it didn''t absorb it but stored it inside his dantians. His Chaotic Vessel Physique also nearedpletion as the Bloodline only enhanced it. The False Chaos Physique also hungrily absorbed the True Chaos Qi, almost as if it had been starving since the beginning of time. Shen Yuan remained calm throughout the ordeal, the pain, which would have been enough to make even a higher-level cultivator tremble in pain felt like a breeze after that Dao Heart Trial to him. His acupoints stabilized after the refinement with True Chaos Qi, and the remaining True Chaos Qi was collected in his 366 dantians. Floating peacefully inside of it yet seemed to be heavier than the qi of the entire nebined. Just then, his False Chaos Body acted all of a sudden and sucked all the True Chaos Qi from Shen Yuan''s dantian, absorbing it as Shen Yuan felt his physique and affinity with the world growing at an exponential rate. He could feel the weight of True Chaos Qi leaving as his physique ascended to another level. The False Chaos Physique, Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art, and Chaotic Vessel Physique synced and created a perfect bnce for Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan also felt his body getting sturdier with the enhancement but the feeling of emptiness after his physique took away the True Chaos Qi also made him feel weird. It was as if something that belonged to him got robbed yet returned as well. Yue Lan''s voice finally broke the silence in his mind, [It''s almostplete. Your body has been fully integrated with the Chaotic Vessel Physique. Your 365 dantians are now ready to be filled with cultivation techniques. How does it feel?] Shen Yuan slowly opened his eyes, his body now feeling one with his surroundings as his cultivation became even harder to trace. His body now radiated a subtle, almost imperceptible aura of Chaos, not even the mightiest of cultivators in the mortal ne could sense such a thing. "It feels¡­empty." Shen Yuan said quietly, a frown emerging on his face, "Why does it feel like I''m empty from the inside? Is it due to me not cultivating any technique in any of my other dantians?" He spoke his thoughts aloud, hoping for Yue Lan to rify them. Yue Lan turned to her usual self as she repliedzily, [You are correct. You need to fill at least one more dantian for the sense of emptiness to go away. That feeling would have made you go crazy if you didn''t have your Dao Heart transformed already.] He stood up slowly from his meditative position, his movements were slow yet felt natural, almost as if this was how everything was supposed to go. The rift above his courtyard had already closed, almost as if there was nothing there from the start. [Good, now you can go wild with whatever cultivation technique you want to train in. Just don''t pick up random trash to fill up your dantians, it will affect you negatively in the future. But now you won''t have to worry about your techniques conflicting with one another. But you need to reforge your meridians if you want more techniques to work without any problem.] Shen Yuan nodded his head with a thoughtful look on his face, "I will do that in my training session." He raised his head to see that the sun was already setting on the horizon. Yue Lan''s voice sounded again but this time with a hint of warning in it, [You might not be aware of it, but during your physique integration, a bit of Qi was leaked, which the higher-level beings of this mortal ne sensed. Thought you need not worry, they can''t trace it back to you.] Shen Yuan walked towards his chair while replying with a smirk on his face, "Let theme, I''m sure their high and mighty ass won''t move and they will instead send disciples for me to try my strength on." With that, he sat down on his chair and started heating the tea again. He waited for it to get warm again. After waiting for a while he poured himself a cup of tea andy back on the chair. He softly blew on the tea before taking a sip, "Aahh¡­ nothing like drinking good hot tea after a good cultivation session. I needed this tea to calm my nerves after going through all that." He closed his eyes for a second to rx before saying, "Show me my stats." [Ding!] [Host: Shen Yuan] [Title: Charming Young Master, Mob Killer, Weapon Master, Madman, Masochist, Inheritor of Purity Sage, Era-Defining Genius, Incestuous Pervert, Outer Sect Disciple of Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect, False Chaotic Lifeform¡­] [Cultivation Base: 9th level Foundation Establishment Realm] [Bloodline: ???] [Physique- 1-Saint-Rank Primal Harmony Physique (Primordial Rank Sealed) 2-Saint-Rank False Chaos Physique (Immortal Rank Sealed)] 3-Supreme-Rank Purity Physique 4-Supreme-Rank Chaotic Vessel Physique [Talents- 1-High Level Comprehension (Peak-Grade Supreme Tier) 2-Weapon Master (High-Grade Emperor Tier) 3-Darkness Affinity (Mid-Grade Minor Talent) 4-Wind Affinity¡­ [Cultivation Technique- Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art, Chaos Body Refinement Technique(81st Revolution- Completed)] [Techniques- Basic Sword Style, Mountain Smashing Fist, Falling Leaves sh, Wind Breaker Palm, Reaper Cleave, Earth Cutting Saber, Flowing Water Spear, Lightfoot Technique...] [Intents: First-Level Sword Intent Second-Level Saber Intent] [Chaos Coins-436,000] [System Shop] [Inventory] [Rtionship] [Battle Power- Unknown] [Harem Connect] [Dual Cultivation Chamber] Chapter 148 : Morning Tea He opened his eyes to look at the stats, "These shitty titles," he shook his head as he saw his old titles but then he continued reading further, "Oh two new titles, hmm the disciple one is due to my joining of this sect and what is this second one? False Chaotic Lifeform?" He didn''t ask Yue Lan yet as he continued to look further below, "Oh damn, my physique got upgraded to Immortal Grade? Hmm¡­but it''s sealed, yet it made me a False Chaotic Lifeform¡­" [The restrictions of your Primal Harmony Physique got extended to your False Chaos Physique, otherwise, there would have been a lot moreplications if the transcended power descended to seal your physique again.] Shen Yuan thought about his problem for a bit before shaking his head with a smile, "It''s all good now. Oh, and would you look at that, even the grade of my Purity Physique got upgraded huh." Shen Yuan smiled lightly at his upgraded stats, "No wonder I felt so much stronger than before. Now I only need to start learning the cultivation technique of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect." He sipped on his tea in a good mood after acquiring the physique, he continued looking further down the system screen, "Oh, you ssified my talent into grades as well. Nice. and a separate tag for both Martial and Cultivation techniques and a whole new section for Intents as well¡­" Shen Yuan continued to look at all the new updates, "You were right huh, you are constantly getting upgrad¡ª" Just then, his eyes nced at his remaining Chaos Coins. And as soon as he saw the total value, his mouth spat out the tea he was drinking, "Why the hell is there a whole fucking 100,000 Chaos Coins less in that amount?? The physique was only 500,000 Chaos Coins, and I got like 1,000,000 after dual cultivating with Sister Huo. I never even managed to gather that much at once, and you deducted them?? Why?" Shen Yuan asked as he felt his heart bleed at his loss, He who didn''t feel the slightest bit nervous when he found out that the hegemons of other higher worlds might send theirckeys towards his world in his search felt his heart bleed. [Because it took more Chaos Coins to control your physique since it started acting all on its own again, it even disrupted the barrier between you and the rift.] Shen Yuan felt like splurging a mouthful of blood after knowing that it was his own bloodline that made him suffer a loss, but he couldn''t do anything as he slumped on the chair and took out a wine gourd instead of the tea. [What are you doing now?] Yue Lan curiously asked him, looking at his actions. "Drinking away my sorrows." Shen Yuan replied as he took a big gulp of alcohol from the gourd. Yue Lan''s giggling voice soon echoed inside of his mind, making his eyes twitch but he continued drinking wine. After a while, he emptied the gourd as Yue Lan asked him, [Now, what''s your n?] Shen Yuan raised his head and saw that it was already night, he stood up from his chair and headed towards his room, "What else? Going to meditate in the night to get used to my new body." He soon closed his gates after entering his room. He raised his head as the faint fragrance ofst night''s activities still lingered in the air. He smiled faintly thinking about Huo Rong, "I wonder what she is doing right now?" He shook his head with a smile, sat down on the bed, and began circting the Primordial Vessel Cultivation Technique, feeling the energy traveling through his body. "This damn hollow feeling¡­" He muttered in annoyance as he felt that familiar feeling again. [You can buy a few techniques from the system store to fill a few dantians to get rid of this hollow feeling you know?] Herzy voice echoed as she didn''t want to see him suffer needlessly as well. "Never mind, I will go and take the cultivation manual of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect tomorrow morning." He shook his head and continued circting the Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art throughout his body. He tried to focus while cultivating, but it was difficult to shake off the ufortable emptiness that lingered within his dantians. Every time the energy passed through, it seemed to echo in a hollow void, a reverberating reminder to him that he needed to fill those dantians. Yue Lan''s voice echoedzily in his mind again. [You really are a masochist huh? That feeling will get worse the longer you leave your dantians empty, you know. You could fill a few with some temporary techniques just to ease the difort. The system shop has more than enough techniques to fill this entire sect ground in their wake. Shen Yuan opened one eye and groaned in annoyance. "I told you, I''m not wasting more Chaos Coins after that bullshit you pulled. I''ll get the cultivation techniques from the sect tomorrow for free anyway. Besides, I need to learn them to integrate properly into the sect anyway." Yue Lan was also toozy to argue further with him as she gave onestment, [Suit yourself. Just remember, it''s your body that''s suffering, not mine since I don''t even have one hehe. The faster you fill those dantians, the sooner you can get relief from this mental torture.] Shen Yuan exhaled slowly, pushing the difort aside as he focused on stabilizing his physique to not leave behind any imperfections in his constitution. The sheer utility of it was still awe-inspiring to him, but he knew to truly reach the full potential of the physique, he would need to wait for a long while. As the night went on, the moonlight filtered through the window, casting soft shadows across his room. Eventually, his mind grew calm as he slipped deeper into meditation. The physiques and bloodline calmed down in his body as his breathing also slowed as if he became one with heaven and earth. As the first rays of sunlight came into the room, Shen Yuan slowly opened his eyes, his mind refreshed after a night of deep meditation and rxation after that intense cultivation session, The hollow feeling inside of his dantian had lessened after meditating for the whole night, though it still lingered in the back of his head, making him annoyed constantly. Sighing, he stretched his limbs as he swung his left leg off the bed. His body felt a lot lighter and stronger than yesterday, but he knew taking care of that hollowness was his top priority for now. He stood up from the bed, heading outside of his room into the courtyard. The morning breeze blew on his face, making him refreshed as he stepped out and breathed in the fragrance of plum blossom. "Haah¡­still can''tpare to the fragrance of my Big Sister." He spoke with a smirk feeling the fresh air. The sight of the delicate pink petals reminded him of something as he shook his head with a smile. He made his way to the table beneath the plum blossom tree, where he had left his tea set the previous night since it was his own courtyard. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 149: Morning Practice Delayed He brewed himself a fresh cup of tea from the leaves he got from a few quests when he was young. He savored the warmth of the tea as he sipped on it, enjoying the tranquility of the early morning. He spent a good few minutes in peaceful silence, allowing his mind to rest for today''s activities as he stood up and began walking towards the outside of the courtyard with a fresh mood. "Hmm, nothing''s like fresh tea in the morning under the shade of a tree." He muttered to himself while walking towards the spatial portal for the training ground. Wherever the disciples saw him walking, they would point their fingers toward him and murmur among themselves. But Shen Yuan didn''t pay attention to the disciples; instead, he continued walking toward the Spatial Portal, which he soon reached. There the same guards looked at him and smiled politely with respect, Shen Yuan also smiled and politely nodded his head back. One of them stepped towards him and spoke with an excited smile, "Your speech was really something yesterday, Senior Brother Shen Yuan. Give me some private lessons as well." She spoke while leaning forward, her breast pressed against her arm which created quite an erotic sight as Shen Yuan could really see her pink buds from the top of her disciple''s robes. But he soon shook his head with a smile. "I''m undeserving of your praise, I merely speak what came to my mind. You can look for me some other time, I need to go and get my cultivation technique today so I can start training in it." The female disciple raised her face in confusion, "Cultivation techniques of our sect? You? Aren''t those techniques supposed to be only for females?" Shen Yuan''s lips twitched as he wryly shook his head, "Matters not, I just want to take a nce at the technique to see how it is." He spoke as he took out a pouch of spirit stones and handed them to her, she took the spirit stones and made way for him to enter the portal. "We will meet again soon!" she called behind him, making him shake his head with a smile as he waved goodbye. He felt the familiar spatialws surround him again, this time with much more rity but he still fell short by a little. His feetnded on the ground as he looked behind him at the portal, "I feel like I''m so close toprehending the space intent, I will probably need a few more teleportations before I can sessfully master it." He felt excited thinking about mastering the space intent, after which he would be able to teleport around to his heart''s desires. "Hehe~ I can mistakenly teleport into the bathroom of a nearby disciple while learning how to control it, even though bathing is no longer required for most cultivators, female cultivators still like to take baths almost daily." He thought with an evil grin on his face. [Ding!] [Congrattions host for acquiring a new title.] [New Title-Pervert] "..." Shen Yuan was speechless looking at his new title, not thinking Yue Lan would give him a new title for merely a joke. He chuckled softly, "Matters not, only I can see my titles, so no matter what you add it won''t affect me." Yue Lan''szy yet mocking voice reverberated inside his head, [For now, that is.] "..." Shen Yuan decided to ignore Yue Lan for now as he knew arguing with her was a losing battle. When he finally reached the promised location where he and Wan Ling were supposed to meet up, he saw her training there diligently, her actions were precise at times, but clumsy at others. He smiled, looking at her cute, innocent face as she practiced with a serious expression. Her focus was entirely on refining her technique, so much so that she didn''t notice Shen Yuan who was standing behind her a few meters away. "Good morning, Wan Ling." Shen Yuan greeted with a cheerful voice, looking at her with a smile. Wan Ling blinked her eyes as her actions paused, but she soon smiled brightly as she turned around, looking at Shen Yuan with excitement, "Senior Brother Shen Yuan! You really came." Shen Yuan smiled and came towards her, "What did you think? That I would leave you hanging and won''te?" He patted her head after arriving in front of her, Wan Ling closed her eyes in enjoyment as she replied, "Hehe, I really thought that, after all, even in the past people have done that many times." Shen Yuan chuckled softly, "Anyways, looks like our training will be dyed a little today, I need to get my cultivation technique from the sect. You want toe with me to collect it?" Wan Ling''s eyes lit up in excitement at the offer, "You want me to go with you? I''d love to! I have only been to that part of the sect once or twice when I joined to take my cultivation techniques. It will be a good opportunity to learn more for me as well." Shen Yuan chuckled softly looking at her eagerness, "Good. Let''s go then. It''ll take some time to go there even with the portals due to the walking distance as well." Wan Ling nodded her head enthusiastically, and the two of them began making their way towards the Outer Sect''s Library. As they walked, Shen Yuan noticed Wan Ling asionally sneaking nces at him, though she seemed too shy to ask any questions. "Is something on your mind?" Shen Yuan asked casually, ncing at her from the corner of his eye as they continued walking. Wan Ling fidgeted slightly before finally speaking, "I was just¡­curious, Senior Brother. You''ve only been in the sect for such a short time, but you seem so much more knowledgeable and powerful than most of us. I heard that the rogue cultivators are generally a lot weaker than even the lower-level sects and from what I know, you were not in any sect before joining our sect. How did you get so strong?" Shen Yuan chuckled lightly at her question, "Everyone''s path in cultivation is different. I''ve had my fair share of challenges and experiences that have helped me grow and learn a lot about this world. Strengthes from perseverance and an understanding of your own limits¡ªand then breaking those limits to surpass yourself."\\ Wan Ling listened intently and nodded as if trying to absorb every word that he said, "I''ll remember that, Senior Brother. I really admire your wisdom and knowledge." She praised Shen Yuan from the bottom of her heart, feeling as if he had be even bigger in her eyes. And soon, they reached the Outer Sect''s library, where disciples could get both martial and cultivation techniques of the sect at a price for some time. The building was grand, with intricate designs carved into its walls, signifying its importance to the sect. Disciples were walking in and out of the building carrying various manuals, tomes, and other such things "Here we are." Shen Yuan said, stopping right in front of the entrance as Wan Ling raised her head to look at how big the library was. Chapter 150: Getting the Cultivation Technique "I''m going to get a few cultivation manuals that would suit me. You''re free to look around and see if anything interests you." He told Wan Ling while heading towards the library. He nodded toward Wan Ling as she curiously wandered off to explore the library, her eyes bright and filled with excitement at the thought of getting a new technique. He smiled looking at her and stepped toward the library as well, entering through the grand entrance of the Outer Sect''s library. At the entrance sat an old woman in white robes, recording what all the disciples were taking away. Sensing an unfamiliar presence, she raised her head to meet the eyes of Shen Yuan as he nodded his head in greeting. The elder also nodded back as the surrounding disciples noticed him as well. They began whispering about his speech from yesterday as well as his breaking the record of all the top disciples. Shen Yuan could feel the eyes of the disciples focusing on him as he walked deeper into the library, their whispering growing louder. It didn''t bother him much; he was already used to disciples whispering behind his back after seeing him. Still, thements about his speech and breaking the record were amusing. "I heard he cleared the pagoda in just eight minutes. That''s impossible, right?" "Senior Sister Mei Xin even asked him to join her training session. Do you think he''ll ept?" Shen Yuan let out a small chuckle as he listened to their gossip. He knew how rumors go around all too well, and they always had a way of exaggerating the truth. Still, he kept his focus on his goal ofing to the library, not letting the attention he was receiving distract him. His goal was simple today¡ªget the cultivation technique and martial technique that he needed. Inside the library, rows upon rows of jade slips and scrolls filled the shelves, each glowing faintly with spiritual light. The library was not vast, yet the silence inside a proof of the disciples'' discipline. Shen Yuan soon approached a section marked, ''Cultivation Techniques.'' As he scanned through the titles, he quickly located the one he was after¡ªthe Radiant Lotus Cultivation Art. He picked up the jade slip from the shelf, and seeing it glowing faintly he smiled. ''Found it, with this, I can build a stable foundation to rise in the ranks of the sect.'' He ced the jade slip in his storage ring and moved to the section on martial techniques. He was looking for a few new techniques since his old techniques couldn''t keep up with his pace. ''I would have liked to use the Pagoda Bearing Monarch''s techniques but the pagoda is locked, I would need to raise my cultivation base higher if I want to ess his treasury.'' He browsed through the section, looking for something suitable as his requirements weren''t high. He didn''t want something overlyplex, just techniques that would work well with his fighting style. He found a few good ones soon enough¡ª ''Radiant Lotus sh'', ''Luminous Shadow Step'', and ''Radiant Lotus Rejuvenation Art. All techniques seemed to be in line with his requirements for an offensive and a movement technique. He reached out to take them, mentally noting how they would be used together with his different physiques. [Radiant Lotus sh ¨C Peak Earth Grade] Description: A sword-based offensive technique, imbued with the radiant light essence of the Radiant Lotus Cultivation Art. This technique uses controlled shes empowered by radiant Qi to decimate opponents, creating a bloom of light in the aftermath of each strike. Cultivation Level Required: Foundation Establishment Realm to Inner Sea Realm. Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow with interest, impressed by the quality of the physique. If hepared this technique with the techniques of rogue cultivation then this can be called an Immortal Technique. It also aligned with the sect''s cultivation focus on light and healing Qi but was still fierce enough to leave the enemies trembling in their boots. "Not a bad technique for merely the Outer Sect Disciples." He ced the slip inside his storage ring and kept walking, looking for something a bit more diverse. His mind thought back to the movement technique he saw before, If he was going to improve his fighting style, he needed agility and mobility. His eyes shifted from one ce to another until he spotted the jade slip of Luminous Shadow Step. [Luminous Shadow Step ¨C Late Spirit Grade ] Description: A footwork technique that allows the cultivator to move as quickly as a shadow under the radiant sun, blending light and shadow to confuse enemies. It emphasizes agility and unpredictability, ideal for both offensive and defensive maneuvers. Cultivation Level Required: Foundation Establishment Realm to Inner Sea Realm. He smiled slightly. This technique would give him a significant boost in his ability as his previous movement technique couldn''t keep up with his growth. ''Agility and unpredictability, huh?'' Satisfied with these two martial techniques, Shen Yuan finally turned his attention to what he came here for¡ªthe sect''s core cultivation technique. He took out the slip and decided to read the description on it as well since he had forgotten it before. [Radiant Lotus Cultivation Art ¨C Earth Grade Cultivation Technique] Description: The primary cultivation technique of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect. This art focuses on harnessing radiant Qi from the surroundings and refining it into a powerful life essence. It is renowned for its unparalleled healing capabilities and formidable offensive power when mastered. The technique also cultivates one''s internal purity, allowing for the bnce of strength and grace in all aspects of cultivation (Enhances the beauty.) Avable Levels: Up to the Inner Sea Realm. Higher levels must be essed by passing the Inner Sect Examination. Shen Yuan smirked as he read through the description of the jade slip. "So, they only give ess up to the Inner Sea Realm to the outer sect disciples huh?" He wasn''t surprised as this was amon practice among the sects. Most sects keep their more advanced technique restricted so other factions can''t steal and bring destruction to the sect. "That''s fine," he softly muttered, "I''ll just pass the entrance testter to get it." He decided to take all three techniques to practiceter. He will make Radiant Lotus Cultivation Art the base of his second dantian, even if it isn''t perfectly suited for him currently due to the technique''s nature which was more inclined towards female cultivators, he can modify it while practicing. As Shen Yuan gathered the jade slips and brought him to the counter for the old woman to register, the surrounding disciples gathered around him, watching him curiously to see which techniques he selected from the sect''s library. The olddy raised her head and looked at Shen Yuan, before looking down and checking the jade slips. She soon shook her head as she looked up at Shen Yuan. "Young man, you do know the nature of this cultivation technique? It''s not suited for male disciples, it might even have opposite effects." She advised him gently, watching him as he smiled back at her, "I will just alter the technique before learning it, no big deal for me." Chapter 151: Sparring The olddy''s eyes constricted in shock as she heard him say, "Wha¡ªThat''s impossible. Not even the greatest of geniuses can alter our core technique which has been refined through the long passage of time." The surrounding disciples'' eyes also widened in shock at his revtion. "That is for me to decide, even if I can''t do it I want to try at least. Now can you please register these jade slips to my name?" Shen Yuan answered her before asking her to finish her work. "Ah yes, sorry, just a minute. I will enter your data into the file first." She was flustered at Shen Yuan''s monstrousprehension ability. The number of disciples gathered around continued to increase, yet they still couldn''t make heads or tails of what was happening. "How much do I have to pay for these?" He asked politely for the price of the techniques. "For new disciples, starting 3 techniques are free." The olddy calmed down and replied in a weak voice. Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up, "Really? Damn, I missed a good opportunity today." hemented. [Why are you acting such a miser? You are rich enough to buy all the techniques of the outer sect with your current fortune.] Yue Lan''s mocking voice sounded in his head. ''You don''t understand, I need to keep a frugal mindset for when I ascend to a higher ne else I get pped in my face with poverty.'' He shook his head and headed towards the gate and soon saw Wan Linging out of a section of the library. She approached him with a curious look on her face, She held a small manual in her hand, clearly excited about something that she had found inside of the library. "Did you find what you were looking for, Senior Brother?" she asked with a bright smile aftering close to Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan nodded with a smile, "I did. The Radiant Lotus Cultivation Art will be good enough for me until I get inside the Inner sect. And I choose a few martial techniques as well. What about you? You seem quite happy with whatever you found." Wan Ling blushed a little, "I found a light-based defensive technique called Lotus Shield Formation. It''s not too high-level but it will help me until I reach the Inner sect as well." Shen Yuan nced at the martial technique manual in her hand and smiled, "That''s a good choice. Defense is as important as offense, after all. And now, you have me as well, I''ll help you in training." Wan Ling''s eyes lit up with excitement, "Really? You will train with me, Senior Brother?" ''Will Senior Brother really train with me?'' She thought as she still had lingering suspicions since her life was going too well. Shen Yuan gave her a reassured smile, "Of course, after all, cultivating all the time gets boring and won''t have as good of an effect if you are not focused fully. It is good to take rest sometimes." Wan Ling nodded eagerly. "Thank you, Senior Brother. I''ll make sure to train hard." Shen Yuan gestured toward the exit. "Let''s head out then. We''ll begin our training today." Shen Yuan and Wan Ling left the library together, making their way back to the training ground. The sun had already risen high in the sky. Wan Ling was still clutching her manual, ncing down at it from time to time. Seeing this Shen Yuan chuckled softly, "Why don''t you just put that in your storage ring?" Wan Ling''s face turned a little red from embarrassment, "Cough, I''m just excited to get a new technique after such a long time." Shen Yuan chuckled softly at her response and didn''t ask more about it. Soon they reached the training grounds. "Should we get a Combat Chamber to train now?" Shen Yuan asked lightly after looking at the packed training grounds. Wan Ling''s cheeks flushed a bright pink as she thought, ''Wait, wait, wait!! Training inside a private room, all alone with Senior Brother Shen Yuan?!?'' Shen Yuan saw her face heating up and asked, "Are you alright? What happened to you? You seem to be burning up." "Ahaha, nothing, nothing." She hurriedly responded. "Yes, let''s take a private room, the training grounds are already filled with disciples." Shen Yuan nodded in agreement and went towards the Battle Chambers, where he paid for the room. The recipient blushed to see Shen Yuan as she was one of the disciples who listened to his speech yesterday. "Th-thank you for your speech yesterday, Senior Brother. It really inspired me to continue working hard." She gathered her courage and thanked Shen Yuan. He smiled in response, "No need to thank me, I was just talking about what came to my mind. I hope you prosper on your path." He bid her farewell and brought Wan Ling together with him. The disciple looked at Wan Ling with a hint of jealousy in her eyes but soon shook her head and continued working. Shen Yuan and Wan Ling soon entered the Battle Chamber, it was a huge room with reinforced walls and practice dummies for training. There was a rack of weapons as well to practice with. He turned towards Wan Ling and said, "Let''s not use the new techniques just yet. You need more time to fullyprehend it before you can start practicing with it. Else you risk injuring yourself." Wan Ling nodded in agreement, "You''re right, Senior Brother. I haven''t had time to even read all of it properly. Then what should I practice for now?" Shen Yuan smiled and stretched his arms, loosening his muscles as he spoke with a smirk on his face, "Simple. I want you to attack me with everything you''ve got." Wan Ling blinked in surprise, her eyes widening slightly. "Attack you? But Senior Brother¡­you are much stronger than me. I don''t want to get a one-sided beating." Shen Yuan chuckled, shaking his head, "Don''t worry about that. It''s the best way to learn and it''s faster as well. You''ll get valuable experience as well as I can help you identify your mistakes. Now, don''t hold back and attack, I won''t hurt you." Wan Ling hesitated, she knew the vast difference in their battle powers, even if the cultivation base was the same they were on two different worlds. The mere thought of attacking Shen Yuan, who had effortlessly broken records made her nervous. "I-I don''t know, Senior Brother¡­ I don''t want to hurt you, even though it''s unlikely that I can do it." She still refused to attack him. Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, amused by her hesitation. "Hurt me? You have got it all wrong. You have better chances to be immortal than to hurt me in your current state. You just need to think about how you can improve yourself rather than worrying about me. Now,e attack me." Wan Ling bit her lip, then took a deep breath, her eyes focusing on Shen Yuan. She got into her fighting stance, gathering her Qi and focusing it in her palms. Her energy red around her body as sheunched a swift palm strike towards Shen Yuan. Chapter 152: Teaching Wan Ling Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, amused by her hesitation. "Hurt me? You have got it all wrong. You have better chances to be immortal than to hurt me in your current state. You just need to think about how you can improve yourself rather than worrying about me. Now,e attack me." Wan Ling bit her lip, then took a deep breath, her eyes focusing on Shen Yuan. She got into her fighting stance, gathering her Qi and focusing it in her palms. Her energy red around her body as sheunched a swift palm strike towards Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan stood on the spot, looking calmly at the arriving palm strike. With a slight movement of his wrist, he effortlessly deflected the palm strike, causing Wan Ling to stumble forward. But she quickly recovered her stance and attempted to strike his ribs from the side, which he dodged by side-stepping a bit. She didn''t relent and followed up with relentless attacks¡ªpalm strikes, kicks, and a swift punch aimed at his chest. Each attack was easily dodged or blocked by him with minimal effort. "Your stance is too rigid," Shen Yuan pointed out as he continued to dodge her flurry of attacks. "You''re focusing too much on power while ignoring precision and flexibility." Wan Ling huffed, feeling both frustrated and determined tond at least an attack on him. She tried to incorporate his advice, adjusting her stance and toning down her aggression as she looked toward Shen Yuan more calmly. Yet her attacks still failed to connect with him. After a few more exchanges, Shen Yun finally decided to counter her as he flicked her forehead, making her take a step back and clutch her head in pain. "See? You are leaving too many openings. Your attacks are too monotone, try to bring some unpredictability to your attacks. If you want to improve, then you need to learn how to flow between movements without pausing." He paused and saw that she was listening intently, nodding his head, "Again. This time, focus on the element of unpredictableness in your attacks. Don''t just throw your attacks at random, make them flow as if you are weaving a tale," Wan Ling wiped the sweat from her brow as she still felt some lingering pain on her forehead from that flick. But she soon resumed her stance, greatly improving it as she attacked again. This time attempting to have more fluidity in her moves, switching between strikes and kicks more naturally. Shen Yuan smiled lightly and nodded in approval as she finally began to show progress. However, he still handled her easily, deflecting each move without breaking a sweat. They continued training like this for hours, with Shen Yuan patiently guiding Wan Ling, correcting her form, and advising her. Despite the intense training, Wan Ling was still energetic as she felt the improvements that she had made today. Near the evening, Wan Ling copsed onto the floor of the room, panting heavily and drenched in sweat, the disciple''s robes stuck closely to her body, making her enchanting form more visible. "You''re too fast, Senior Brother¡­I can''t keep up¡­" She spoke through rugged breaths. Shen Yuan chuckled and sat down beside her, "You did well, Wan Ling. You have improved visiblypared to when we started. If you keep this level of dedication then you will be an Inner Sect disciple in no time." Wan Ling smiled weakly,"Thank you, Senior Brother. But I was able to improve this much today because of you. If you weren''t guiding me then I wouldn''t have improved so much." Shen Yuan chuckled softly, "You don''t need to worry about that, we will train together often from now on. For now, you should go into seclusion for some time andprehend the technique that you got today." Wan Ling''s eyes lit up at the mention of her new technique, "Yes! I willprehend that technique and will try to learn it myself. But¡­" she hesitated at the end of her words. Shen Yuan shook his head and stood up, extending a hand to help her to her feet, "That''s enough for today, and you don''t need to hesitate. I will help you practice that technique once youprehend it and can use it at least." Wan Ling gratefully epted his hand with a faint blush on her face, "You don''t need to waste your time on me. I will somehow manag-" Before she could finish her sentence, Shen Yuan interjected, "No need to say more, if you like to train with me then you cane to find me in my courtyard whenever you are free." Wan Ling felt butterflies in her stomach as she nodded her head, "Hnm." With a final wave, Shen Yuan made his way back to his courtyard, enjoying the peace and quiet of the evening. "The training session was quite fun, my time would get boring in the sect without getting to tease and spar with her haa¡­" He spoke aloud in azy tone, but then thought of something else, "Should I look for another disciple to y around with for a few days or go to the inner sect?" He hummed to himself as he opened the gates of his courtyard and entered inside, then went towards his table below the plum blossom tree and sat down. Shen Yuan leaned back in his chair beneath the plum blossom tree, feeling the cool evening breeze. He closed his eyes and thought back to his training session with Wan Ling. A faint smile formed on his lips as he remembered her determined face and her progress. But his thoughts quickly turned to a more important matter¡ªhow to handle his new cultivation system. "Yue Lan," Shen Yuan called her name, as she manifested into her cat form on hisp. [Nyaa~ what do you want, Shen Yuan?] She stretched as she askedzily. Shen Yuan didn''t open his eyes as he continued to lie down on his chair as he asked, "I''ve picked up a new cultivation technique from the sect today, but I don''t know how to start cultivating it exactly as it wasn''t made for someone with multiple dantians. Can you tell me where I can begin?" Yue Lanfortablyy down on hisp and spoke in azy tone, [Oh? You finally remembered about your cultivation? I thought you would rather y with the disciples of the sect than cultivate. And cultivating any technique with your¡­unique body is going to be quite tricky¡­if you didn''t have me with you.] Shen Yuan opened his eyes slightly and nced in hisp to see Yue Lan lying peacefully, he still asked, "Tricky how?" [Well, for starters, you have 366 dantians. And the absolute majority of people only have one, so cultivation techniques are designed with that in mind. The Radiant Lotus Cultivation Art focuses on channeling the Qi into your body and refining it into radiant Qi which will flow into a single dantian, refining it into a powerful life essence that can be used for offense and defense. You, however, have to manage the flow of Qi flowing through multiple Dantians, making sure they don''t sh with each other.] Chapter 153: New Technique Shen Yuan frowned hearing her exnation, "And how do I do that without blowing myself up? Radiant Qi might be gentle in nature but that won''t spare me from the fate of blowing myself up if Ibine 2 different types of qi inside my body without something to stabilize it." Yue Lan replied with a hint of amusement, [Exactly. The first thing you need to focus on is controlling the flow between your Dantians. You''ll have to use Primal Harmony Physique as the base for your future cultivation as this is your highest-ranked physique. Its nature will have you bnce the multiple Qi which will flow through your body as you cultivate more techniques in the future.] Shen Yuan nodded to himself, ''That makes sense, the Primal Harmony Physique was all about bncing different types of energies.'' "And what about other Dantians? Should I focus on them one by one, or channel Qi into all of them simultaneously?" [If you try to channel Qi into them all at once, especially with a new technique, you''ll end up in a far worse situation than merely feeling hollow. For now, focus on one dantian at a time. Start with the one in your lower abdomen and use that as the primary anchor. Once you have stabilized your second dantian then expand that. You can only cultivate one technique inside a Dantian.] Shen Yuan rubbed his chin, already visualizing how the process would go and how he could improve it, "And what about the Purity physique? The Radiant Lotus Technique seems to emphasize internal purity quite a lot. How will that interact with my Purity Physique." Yue Lan''s thoughtful voice sounded from hisp, [Your Purity Physique is a perfect match for the art''s core principles. In fact, it will likely enhance the technique and upgrade its power to the next level. The only problem is that the Purity Physique might over-purify the radiant Qi, making its healing properties much stronger but at the cost of the offensive power. You''ll have to consciously leave some impurities within the Qi to bnce its healing and destructive aspects.] Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "That matters not, I don''t need this technique for fighting anyways, I only want to learn the healing art which can be quite useful to me in emergencies. And the process soundsplicated as well." Yue Lan teased, [Well, you''re not exactly a normal cultivator. But you''re right, no need to learn this technique for offensive when you have Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art, but I should remind you it''s not an offensive art as well, it''s purely for making the perfect vessel. That''s why it does not alter your Qi and the Qi stays in its purest form, otherwise learning other techniques would have been that much harder.] Yue Lan paused, letting him think about this before continuing, [Anyways, start by using Primal Harmony Physique to stabilize the Qi, then direct it through Purity Physique to refine it, and now there is no need to leave behind impurities. Once you''ve done that, you can incorporate it into your Dantian.] Shen Yuan tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of his chair, deep in thought, "And the False Chaos Physique? Should I leave that out for now? It seems like it couldplicate things in the beginning." [You don''t need to worry about that physique, it is doing its work as we speak right now as well. That physique is one of the most useful physiques to you for now, only because of this can you even think about incorporating different cultivation techniques inside of you.] Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow in surprise but didn''t pursue the matter for now as he knew it wouldn''t matter be relevant at the moment. "So for now I have to do one Dantian at a time, I understand that. Anything else I need to look out for?" Shen Yuan nodded and asked. [You will instinctively feel like spreading your Qi into all the dantians, don''t fall for the trap otherwise the mild feeling of hollowness will intensify millions of times over. Other than that, your sub-cultivation techniques can''t get to a higher level than Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art.] Shen Yuan nodded his head, absorbing the information. He closed his eyes again, feeling the wind as he mentally prepared himself for the task ahead. "Looks like there is a lot of work for me to do. Well whatever, time is the one thing I''mcking right now with my system Time Dition room." [Don''t getzy now by relying on the Dual Cultivation Chambers. Anyways, Bing Rong will soon leave her seclusion, so be ready for a nice surprise.] Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow and got a little excited, "Finally, I can meet up with her after so long, I''m sure she will be surprised when she knows how much I have aplished in the sect. Hehe, it will be fun." He soon shook his head to clear any distracting thoughts, "Well, I will think about her when shees out of seclusion, for now, I need to focus on cultivating this new technique. If I can bring my cultivation of the new technique to the same level as my main, then I can go out to y tomorrow." Shen Yuan stood up from the chair and sat down on the mat in a meditative position. He took out the jade slip and started reading the contents as he had to alter the technique to suit a male cultivator as well. "Hmm¡­so the main difference lies in the Yin and Yang energies of male and female cultivators. Due to the high level of Yin energy in female cultivators, this technique can cause harm to them due to its reliance on Radiant Qi. So they have made the technique in a way that it can be stored inside a female cultivator''s Dantian but won''t affect the cultivators negatively. But a lot of energy is wasted due to this otherwise the technique would be even stronger." Hemented after reading the contents of the entire jade slip. "It''s not hard to alter it, just need to readjust the pathways from where the Qi travels from." He spoke with a smile as he began redrawing the carvings on the jade slip, changing the technique to be suited for male disciples as well. If an elder of the sect were present then they would be horrified to death from the sight in front of them. Someone dared to change their sect''s legacy technique, and that someone was not an outsider but their own disciple. Some of the ancestors would cough up blood just looking at it, seeing how such a young disciple dared to y with their heritage. It was not that the techniques were never altered, in fact, it''s quite the opposite. Throughout history, quite a few Ancestors or Sect Leaders have altered the technique to improve it. But none were as young as Shen Yuan. That alone was enough for Shen Yuan to be recorded in the annals of the sect''s history. But he thought about none of it and continued deriving the cultivation technique to make it suitable for himself. Chapter 154: Cultivating Technique He ran the simtion of the cultivation technique in his mind repeatedly, adjusting how the Qi flowed and affected his body. But that wasn''t enough. He delved into the core of the technique, adjusting the Yin and Yang elements to suit himself better. ¡­ After what felt like an eternity, he took a deep breath and dispersed the radiant qi from around himself, "Finally derived the cultivation technique," he wiped the sweat from his brow as a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. [You really did something impossible, Shen Yuan. The faces of the sect''s elders would be worthy to watch if they knew you have managed to aplish.] Shen Yuan smugly replied, "No need to bother with them, the sect won''t get another male disciple so there is no need for them to know about this technique. For now, I need to cultivate it and fill up my second dantian with radiant Qi." Yue Lan got silent. Shen Yuan''s focus also shifted as he started cultivating Radiant Lotus Cultivation Art. Now that he understood the intricacies of the cultivation technique, it would be much easier for him to cultivate it now." He sat straight as he began running his Qi as instructed in the cultivation manual. The technique started gathering Radiant Qi from his surroundings, pulling it outside his body. Slowly, he began guiding the Qi in his body towards his dantian, using the foundation he hadid with Primal Harmony Physique. Shen Yuan directed the radiant Qi through his body, sensinghow it naturally tried to spread to all his dantians. But with his extreme control over his Qi, he kept it flowing solely to his second dantian, making a steady Qi stream that poured itself into his dantian. As the radiant Qi entered his dantian, he felt it being refined by his Purity Physique, removing impurities. The Qi not only grew more powerful but its healing properties became more potent. Shen Yuan began by condensing mist in his new dantian as the Qi flew through his body and went into his second dantian. His absorption speed was hundreds or even thousands of times better than before. In mere minutes he had reached the peak Body Forging realm with the standards of the new cultivation technique. But he didn''t stop there as he continued to cultivate. He felt if he continued cultivating the technique, he could reach the upper limit soon enough. ¡­ Hours passed as Shen Yuan finally opened his eyes, feeling the Qi reaching the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm as he had expected. He still tried to break through but the Qi didn''t increase after a certain limit. [You reached the same level as your main cultivation technique. Now if you want to make improvements in your new technique, you need to increase your cultivation further with your main cultivation technique.] Yue Lan''s voice sounded in his mind. Shen Yuan exhaled slowly as he let the remaining Qi flow naturally throughout his body. He couldn''t feel much difference in his battle power but he felt his Qi had increased greatly. His body felt lighter and his lifespan seemed to have increased as well. "Quite a neat cultivation technique, this session wasn''t so bad," he said aloud, stretching his arms and feeling the slight tension in his muscles ease. [Not bad? You''re more than just not bad. If the disciples knew you reached the Foundation Establishment realm in a single night, they might lose all hope in cultivation. And none of your speech will be of use anymore.] Yue Lan spoke in a yful tone. Shen Yuan chuckled, "Well, it''s just the first step. I''ll have to work on the rest of the dantians one by one as well. Even if myprehension is hundreds of times better than theirs, then I have to do thousands of times more work as well. But for now, it''s good progress." [Remember, no need to rush the process, or else you ruin your whole cultivation. Stabilizing each dantian is very important, I wouldn''t rmend you to learn a new technique right now. Let your body get used to the Radiant Qi first.] Shen Yuan nodded his head seriously as he wasn''t one to take Yue Lan''s warning lightly. He stood up from his meditative stance from beneath the plum blossom tree, feeling refreshed in the morning. As he gazed up at the rising sun, a small smile yed on his lips. "The Inner Sect, huh? I wonder how long it would take me to pass that entrance test once if I went there right now." [You will probably pass it on your first try, but you should first look around the outer sect. Who knows, you might add more girls in your harem hehe.] Yue Lan yfully remarked. Shen Yuan smirked and nced around his peaceful courtyard. "Perhaps I will do that. But for now, it''s time for me to drink some wine." He went to his chair andy down in it, taking out a gourd of wine and started drinking from it without even using cups. ¡­ Shen Yuan walked amidst the bustling marketce of the outer sect disciples, looking at the various stalls set up with beautiful disciples selling or purchasing their goods. The surroundings also began to buzz with activity as they saw Shen Yuan walking in the marketce, most of them didn''t know how he looked as they had only heard about it. Seeing him now, half felt their hearts flutter, while others sensed something sweet in the air. But they didn''te forward to disturb him as they still had that much modestly left in them. Shen Yuan smiled lightly looking at this scene, which only made the maidens'' hearts flutter as they thought Shen Yuan was smiling towards them. He soon came in front of a stall, where a young disciple was attending to the customers. He looked at the side and saw a few swords hanging on the wall. But they were only low-level swords so they didn''t pique his interest much, he soon walked forward. Shen Yuan continued to stroll through the marketce, his eyes casually scanning the various stalls set up all over the ce. Though none of the items there caught his eye, the lively atmosphere made his day brighter. The sight of the bustling sect painted a vivid image of his prosperous future inside it. The asional nces thrown his way reminded him that he was truly an anomaly in this all-female sect. He approached a small stall set up at an obscure corner of the market, where a group of disciples were gathered, looking at a collection of talismans. One of the disciples running the stall, a petite girl with bright eyes and a friendly smile, which made her seem as if she was born to be a mascot noticed him. Her face turned red as she recognized him. She was one of his secret admirers, she hurriedly tried topose herself. "Senior Brother Shen Yuan! I didn''t expect to see you here. Are you looking for anything in particr?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly with excitement. Shen Yuan gave a polite nod and a charming smile, "Just looking around for now. Anything interesting today?" Chapter 155: Marketplace The young disciple blushed even more, fumbling with one of the talismans before presenting it to him. "This one is a protective talisman for Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators! It can block a single attack above your level, though the standard of that attack is the same as ours so it can block the attack of an Origin Core Creation Realm cultivator from the outside world. It''s quite rare in the outside world." Shen Yuan briefly nced at the talisman, noticing the craftsmanship as he had a thought. He smiled, "I will buy it, it seems quite nice to gift someone." The young disciple''s eyes lit up as she packed the talisman and took the payment from him. "Thank you for your patronage, Senior Brother!" She smiled and bowed a little towards him. Shen Yuan smiled kindly in reply. He turned around to leave, but another figure approached him. A disciple wearing inner sect disciple''s robes walked towards him with a smirk on her face. She had sharp eyes and carried a confident air with herself. "Senior Brother Shen Yuan," she greeted him yfully, "You''re bing quite the sensation around the outer sect." Shen Yuan turned his head slightly, recognizing her immediately as she was quite famous in the inner sect. She had recently been promoted to the Inner sect and was one of the top disciples in the outer sect before that. She was famous for herpetitive nature and sharp mind, and there were constant chats about her vying for a higher rank in the Inner Sect ranking board. He gave her a small nod in greeting, and replied with a smile, "Ah Junior Sister Ling Mei, I suppose I have been quite busytely." Ling Mei''s brow twitched as Shen Yuan casually responded to her teasing and called her ''Junior Sister''. But instead, she eyed him with interest, "I heard about your recent achievements with the towers. Quite impressive for someone who has just joined the sect. But what brings you to the Outer Sect''s market today? Surely the goods here are far below your standards." Shen Yuan smirked, "I was bored while cultivating all night and decided to head out to have some fun, who knew I would encounter you here." Ling Mei chuckled softly, "True enough. But I suspect you''re not one to waste time, Shen Yuan. I imagine you are here for more than just a stroll?" Shen Yuan shrugged lightly and replied with a teasing smile, "You suspected wrong then. I''m quite an easygoing person. But I suppose you are right, maybe I can head to the training groundster and finish the rest of the towers." Lin Mei''s eyes glinted with interest, "The tower again, huh? You have already broken the record of one of them, are you trying to break another record today? I wouldn''t mind seeing how far you can go." Shen Yuan nced at her. "You want to watch?" Ling Mei smiled slyly. "I wouldn''t mind. Watching someone of your level in action is always inspirational and it will be quite good for my cultivation as well." Shen Yuan chuckled, "If you''re free, feel free to join me to see who clears it faster." "I will wait for that until you join the Inner Sect, otherwise if I win then people will call it unfair." She spoke with a hint of pride in her tone, not wanting to take advantage of Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan shook his head with a smile and made his way towards the training grounds, leaving Ling Mei behind. The sun hung high in the sky, casting a soft glow over the sect. As he walked, he heard disciples whispering about his uing challenge at the training grounds. Having already conquered the Pagoda of Crushing Steps, which tested physical endurance and strength, Shen Yuan set his sights on the next challenge: The Maze Pagoda. This pagoda was not only an imitation of the Ancestral Pagoda''s second level but the ancestors of the sect had also improved it greatly, making it a great ever-changingbyrinth. As he approached the Maze Pagoda, he noticed a small crowd gathered at its entrance. Among them, he spotted Wan Ling, her eyes lighting up as she saw him. "Senior Brother Shen Yuan!" she called out, traveling through the crowd to reach him. "Are you nning to challenge the Maze Pagoda today?" Shen Yuan nodded, a confident smile on his face. "Indeed. It''s about time I tie up the loose ends and conquer all the pagodas." Wan Ling nced at the towering structure, her expression a mix of awe and apprehension. "I''ve heard that many disciples get lost inside for hours, some even days. The maze tests not just one''s sense of direction but also their willpower." "All the more reason to give it a try," Shen Yuan replied calmly with a confident smile. "Care to join me? It could be a good experience." She hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "I would just be a distraction. I think I''ll watch this time. But I''ll be here cheering you on when you return." "You won''t be a distraction for me but I can see you are not ready for this trial just yet. Very well," he said, his eyes meeting hers briefly before turning toward the pagoda''s entrance. "Wish the disciples luck that I won''t crush their spirits too hard," he whispered in her ear, making her blush. As he stepped forward, Ling Mei appeared beside Wan Ling, arms crossed and a curious look on her face. "So he''s attempting the Maze Pagoda now? This should be interesting." Wan Ling looked at her and asked hesitantly, "Senior Sister Ling Mei, do you think he''ll seed?" Ling Mei smirked lightly. "He has an unbelievable amount of talent, no doubt about that. But the Maze Pagoda test is more than just your physical might or your cultivation foundation. It required a strong will and sharp mind. We''ll see if he is actually smart or just another muscle head." Inside the Maze Pagoda, Shen Yuan found himself standing at the entrance of an intricatebyrinth. The walls were made of smooth stone, and ethereal light cast an otherworldly glow throughout the corridors. "Interesting, the insides are better looking than the Ancestral Pagoda," he mused, taking a moment to close his eyes and extend his senses. His Primal Harmony Physique allowed him to attune to the energies around him, effectively giving him an edge in environments like this. ''So, this is one of the upgrades that I got after utilizing my physiques with other physiques?'' As he opened his eyes, the path ahead seemed to shift slightly. Without hesitation, he began walking forward, looking around curiously. The first turn led him to a fork with three possible paths. Instead of relying solely on his sight, Shen Yuan focused on the flow of Qi within the maze. He could sense subtle variations in the Qi emanating from each path. "The left path has a chaotic flow, likely leading to lots of traps. The right feels too stagnant. The center path it is," he decided. As he progressed deeper, the maze began to y tricks on the mind. Illusions manifested¡ªwalls that appeared solid but weren''t, corridors that looped back on themselves, and whispers that seemed toe from all directions. Chapter 156: Finishing Pagodas At one point, a dense fog rolled towards him, clouding his vision. Shadows flickered at the edges of his sight, and the whispers grew louder around him. Shen Yuan remained unfazed. He sat down cross-legged, closing his eyes to focus. "Let''s try other senses if my sight can''t see through the illusions." He activated his spiritual sense, releasing it outwards, mapping out the entire surroundings beyond the physical barrier. His superior cultivation base allowed him to detect the trueyer of the maze, bypassing all the illusions and traps. After a few moments, he stood up and continued his journey, moving ahead calmly. [What a show-off. You could have cleared the floor with your vision alone if you focused qi into your eyes.] "Meh, it''s no fun. I''m doing this to entertain myself, don''t ruin my fun now." He smirked slightly and replied to her. The maze seemed to have felt his growing pace as it started to change more aggressively, but Shen Yuan didn''t stop and continued relentlessly. Outside, the disciples watched the Maze Pagoda intently. Disciples murmured among themselves, discussing how much time Shen Yuan would take. "He should already be halfway through." Wan Ling eximed, eyes shing with excitement. Ling Mei arched an eyebrow. "Impossible. Most take hours to reach that point, and some never do." Back inside, Shen Yuan faced the final trial of the maze¡ªa vast chamber with countless doors, each identical to the next. In the center stood a stone pedestal with an inscription: "Only the one who has an iron will can find the true door." He looked at the words for a moment, "Truly impressive, they intermixed all the Pagoda floors into one to make a giantbyrinth. Looks like they didn''t waste the legacy of their ancestors." He soon shook his head to rid of the distracting thoughts and contemted the meaning of the words. "Do I only need a strong will to pass? I can see how this can be a tough trial for a sect such as Radiant Sacred Lotus Sect whose main focus is on the gentle qi. But for someone like me¡ª" He looked at the countless doors again, but all of a sudden, all the doors started evaporating and only a single wooden door remained. Shen Yuan smiled and walked towards that door, vanishing into light particles as he emerged outside the Maze Pagoda. A bell chimed in, signaling thepletion of the challenge. ''They started ringing bells as well?'' He thought to himself in amusement. "That was fast!" someone whispered. Wan Ling rushed forward. "Senior Brother, you did it!" Shen Yuan gave a soft smile. "It was an intriguing experience. They have improvised the maze to be more suited for the disciples of this sect." Ling Mei approached, her expression a mix of respect and curiosity. "You once againpleted the Pagoda in a record time. Perhaps thest time was not a fluke as most Inner Sect disciples doubted." Shen Yuan nodded toward her, "Thanks for your praise, Ling Mei. Let''s spar when I join the Inner Sect in some time." She chuckled softly, "Are you looking for a chance to beat me up? Hehe~ anyways, are you going to challenge the Spiritual Reflection Pagoda next" "That''s the n," he replied. "Might as well finish all of them today." The Spiritual Reflection Pagoda was known for creating a spiritual clone of the challenger, matching them in strength and techniques. To seed, one had to use various tactics or surpass their current self in the middle of the battle. A true test of one''s mastery and adaptability. As Shen Yuan made his way to the next pagoda, the crowd murmured and followed him from the back. He only shook his head at his sight as he expected this to happen today, but this was exactly what he wanted. To make a solid image inside of the sect so the disciples can ept him more easily. He stood beneath the entrance of the Spiritual Reflection Pagoda, ''I hope the clone won''t be as disappointing as the previous one.'' Even though he thought of this, he knew it was next to impossible for him to fight his clone in this mortal world. But he still went forward, stepping into the pagoda to awe the disciples and elders alike. Looking around, he saw a vast, empty space. The air was still, and a faint mist covered the ground. He looked at it for a second, but suddenly, the mist coalesced into a figure¡ªan exact replica of himself. The clone opened his eyes, revealing the same calm smile that Shen Yuan possessed. Without warning, itunched forward, striking with a palm technique that Shen Yuan recognized, it was his own ''Wind Breaker Palm''. He blocked the attack with one hand, "So, this is how feeling the attack of oneself feels like." The clone didn''t relent as he swiftly kicked the side of him, but Shen Yuan took a step back and easily dodged the attack. "How easy." He looked at the clone withzy eyes, sprinting behind it before the clone could react. Shen Yuan pped the back of the clone''s head and sent it flying through the empty space. He dusted his hand as he saw the clone standing up again, "Let''s end this now." He took out a sword and utilized the Radiant Qi from his second dantian, sending a sh of Qi infused with his Sword Intent toward the clone. The clone tried to copy him but he couldn''t muster any Radiant Qi from his dantian, and before he could focus on using his normal Qi, the sh arrived and cleaved the clone in half before dissipating into mist. Outside, the disciples watched as the bell chimed again, much sooner than the previous one. "Unbelievable! He defeated his spiritual clone so quickly!" "Is he a monster?" Ling Mei''s eyes shed with shock, she muttered, "He continues to surprise us." Shen Yuan soon emerged from the pagoda with a slight smile. Not even a drop of sweat formed on his head as people doubted whether he fought inside or not. Wan Ling approached him eagerly. "Senior Brother, that was amazing! How did you finish so fast?" Shen Yuan''s eyes twitched as he looked at Wan Ling seriously for a second, "Speak properly, Little Ling. Ask how youpleted the level so soon instead." Wan Ling looked at him in confusion, while Ling Mei stifled herugh. Shen Yuan shook his head, "It''s easy, just practice and you will be able to do that as well." Ling Mei stoppedughing and stepped forward. "Your techniques are impressive. You must have trained for decades." Shen Yuan met her gaze. "How old do you even think I am? I''m not even two decades old yet." Ling Mei''s eyes opened in shock, "Wait, are you saying you are in your teens?" "Well not exactly that, but my age has yet to hit the 20th mark." "Absurd," she murmured as she doubted herself. Wan Ling didn''t think much of the deeper implications, "Wow, Senior Brother, you are actually younger than me." Shen Yuan patted her head, "Not exactly but yeah let''s just go with this for now." Chapter 157: Heading Back She nodded her head in confusion. Ling Mei soon came out of her stupor, she eyed Shen Yuan curiously, "Now what next? Will you attempt the Mental Fortitude Pagoda? It''s the most challenging of the four." He nodded. "One left and then I can head back to drink some wine." Wan Ling''s eyes shed, ''Senior Brother likes wine?'' ¡­ The Mental Fortitude Pagoda was infamous for its intense spiritual pressure. Many who entered struggle to not copse, let aloneplete the challenge. As he stood before the pagoda''s entrance, the crowd got silent. Even Ling Mei groaned looking at the pagoda. "This pagoda is really hell on earth. Be careful Inside," she advised. "This pagoda can seriously injure your Sea of Consciousness." Shen Yuan smiled in amusement, "Did you forget? Ipleted the real Ancestral Trial, all these are merely copies of that, and lower-level ones at that." With that, he stepped inside. Immediately, an overwhelming weight pressed down on him. The air was thick with pressure, but it felt like a cool breeze in spring to Shen Yuan. "The difference is really massive," he smiled as he started walking on the first floor, feeling the pressure gradually increasing. As he ascended each level, the pressure intensified but nothing much for him. At the final level, the very level began to distort as the pressure on his Sea of Consciousness reached a level that would crush even someone in the Inner Sea Realm. Yet Shen Yuan walked forward calmly, ''This might be the easiest level yet. I should go and cultivate in seclusion for a bit after this.'' He soon reached the end of the floor as the pagoda acknowledged his sess and a final bell rang out. Your adventure continues at m v|l-e-NovelBin Outside, the disciples were silent, awed by Shen Yuan''s performance. "Hepleted this trial as well." "And in a record time at that." "Just how strong is he?" The disciples began murmuring among themselves, and just then Shen Yuan stepped out of the Pagoda, he smiled calmly and waved his hand towards the crowd. "That''s enough for today, my fellow disciples. I will now be heading back." The crowd dispersed hearing what Shen Yuan said. He also moved toward Wan Ling and Ling Mei, who were standing some distance away from the crowd. "Congrattions on ranking first once again, Senior Brother Shen Yuan. Now you have taken all the top spots." Wan Ling congratted him upon his return. "You really are something else, I never expected to see such a monstrosity here in the outer sect," Ling Mei also heaved a sigh and spoke in admiration. "You both praise me too much," He smiled lightly at their words, "I will be entering Closed Door Cultivation for a couple of weeks." He turned towards Wan Ling and continued, "You should practice the technique that you acquired yesterday. I will help you master it after I''m out of seclusion." Wan Ling tilted her head in confusion, "Why are you heading to seclusion all of a sudden, Senior Brother?" Ling Mei''s eyes lit up, "Have you not gone to Closed Door Cultivation aftering out of the Ancestral Pagoda?" "Yep, I have yet to go inside closed-door cultivation." He replied as he figured out that Ling Wei knew the significance of cultivating in seclusion after that trial. "Don''t worry about me Senior Brother. You can go into seclusion in peace, I will train hard to master that technique in the meantime." Wan Ling spoke in a confident tone. Shen Yuan patted her head with a smile and turned around to leave. "See you both again after a while." "I''m afraid we will meet again in the Inner Sect the next time we meet." Ling Wei spoke with a chuckle. Shen Yuan shook his head, "Life is too unpredictable, don''t be so sure that we will meet in the Inner Sect directly." Ling Mei mulled over his words, muttering softly, "Maybe you are right." But as she raised her head to see him again, he had already left. She shook her head with a smile, "Let''s leave as well," she said to Wan Ling and left as well. ¡­ Shen Yuan walked back on the road towards his courtyard, feeling the cool breeze as he finally headed to seclusion in peace. [You really created massive waves in the past couple of days. Are you sure you are not overshowing your talents?] Shen Yuan smiled in amusement, "I did that so they won''t forget me while I go to Closed Door Cultivation. I might take around a month to digest all the gains from my trip to all those different worlds inside the Dao Heart Trial." [So, that''s why you dyed your seclusion until now. To leave an impression on the disciples of the sect.] "Yes, and if I guessed correctly from what you told me, Sister Bing Rong shoulde out of seclusion by then as well." He felt anticipation building within himself as he thought about meeting up with Bing Rong after so long. [Hmm¡­ she should be out around the same time as you. But anyways, will you break through to the next level in this seclusion or focus on something else?] Yue Lan asked curiously, wondering what he had nned. "I won''t break through for now, but I would need to break through before heading to the Inner Sect if I want to continue my domination. I should be on par with Origin Core Creation Realm cultivators at least, since the top disciples here can at least fight one major realm above themselves. I would need to reach the Inner Sea realm as well." He spoke aloud, opening the gate of his courtyard. [But they will also have learned Intents, something most of the cultivators outside never touch due to poor resources and lower-level techniques.] "And that''s preciously why I will master my intents in this seclusion, my Saber Intent seemed to have hit a limit for now, I will focus on the rest of my Intents, or maybe I can learn quite a few new ones from my experience." His eyes shed with excitement at the possibility that he could master so many new intents. [What about the space intent? Will you be able to master it as well?] Yue Lan asked in a teasing voice, as she already knew the answer. "You know better than me what the difference between Space Intent and other Intents is. I might be close to learning the first level but it will still take me quite some time." He shook his head as he sat down on his chair, bringing out a few cups and a gourd of wine. Yue Lan''s voice turned serious as she said, [It''s already quite remarkable that you can sense the Space Intent at your level. You might master Space Intent at the next level if you continue to progress like this.] Shen Yuan filled his cup and took a sip before responding, "I think the progress is stagnant due to my cultivation technique. If I cultivated a Space focused cultivation technique then I might have learned the first level of the Intent already." [Do you want to buy a Space-rted cultivation technique from the system now?] Chapter 158: Mystique Realm Shen Yuan thought for a second before shaking his head, "Not for now. I will look in the sect first for cultivation techniques or ask Mom for them. I''m sure you will suck me dry if I bought them from you." Yue Lan''s soft chuckle soon resounded, [Oh how cruel, you know you will hurt a maiden''s heart if you spoke too harshly.] Shen Yuanughed softly, amused at her reply, "Don''t act like a maiden when you''re probably older than thebined age of every mortal in this world." [WHAT DID YOU SAY??] "The sky is a little red today. Looks like a storm is brewing." Shen Yuan whistled and ignored her. [Hmph! Just you wait.] Shen Yuan calmly smiled and gulped down his wine, "Ahh...The wine tastes especially good today." "Should I go into Dual Cultivation chambers for my closed-door cultivation?" Shen Yuan spoke to himself and waited for a bit for Yue Lan''s reply. He chuckled softly seeing her remain silent, "Matters not, a calm period is exactly what I wanted to consolidate my position in the hearts of the Sect''s disciples. I need to remain a bit mysterious, otherwise they will take my existence for granted." The plum blossom fell down in the surroundings, painting a picture of an Immortal gulping on his wine guard while chatting leisurely with the wind. He soon finished his gourd and ced it back in his storage ring. "Hmm... I''m running low on my wine gourds at this rate. I need to purchase more soon." He stood up and stretched, "Now, let''s go into seclusion. I will try to master more intents during this time if nothing else." He walked towards his room to enter closed-door cultivation. ¡­ Inside the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect, atop the serene Radiant Heart Peak, Sect Leader Mei Hua quietly sat beside herke, sipping a fragrant cup of tea. Her aura radiates a faint glow, showcasing her high mastery of the light-based cultivation technique. Just then, an elder approached, the sound of her soft footsteps seemed hurried. This elder was Lan Xi, one of the inner sect disciples responsible for gathering information. Her face carried a mix of excitement and solemnity. "Sect Leader Mei Hua," Elder Lan Xi greeted Mei Hua with a respectful bow. "I just got news of something important." Mei Hua ced her cup down and gently smiled at Lan Xi, "I have told you guys to not act so rigid." "You are our Sect Leader, it would be improper to act informally with you." Lan Xi replied to her in the same rigid tone. "Alright, enough about this. Tell me what did youe here to tell me?" Mei Hua could only shake her head in exasperation. Lan Xi straightened her back and stepped closer, "We have discovered a new Mystique Realm near the borders of our sect. Based on our investigation, the realm is for lower-level cultivators with the highest allowed being only the Inner Sea Realm. It will open in about four weeks." Mei Hua finally turned her gaze to Lan Xi, her expression turning curious, "The Inner Sea Realm? No wonder why I felt the subtle ripple in the world''s energy recently. Have you assessed the potential dangers and opportunities of that realm yet?" Read new chapters at m_v-l''e-NovelBin "We have only found out about the existence of that realm recently, Sect Leader. The realm itself restricts higher-level cultivators from entering so we weren''t able to ess the situation inside. A few other secs have caught wind of this news as well, and I believe they will send their outer sect disciples to explore the Mystique Realm." Lan Xi replied. Mei Hua grabbed her chin and thought for a second about something, "A realm with this level of restrictions would be an excellent ce to train our outer sect disciples and some of the recently promoted disciples." She paused slightly, "If the other sects are sending their disciples then it will be a nicepetitive ground for the growth of our disciples. Our disciples can''t fall behind the other Divine Sects." "I feel the same," Lan Xi nodded her head, "We can use this opportunity to see how our new generation of disciples will fare against other sects. And I heard Azure Cloud sect and Ironwood Mountain n are preparing to send their own disciples in the mystique realm as well." Mei Hua''s gaze drifted towards the calm water of theke for a second, "They won''t miss this opportunity as well, but it is good. They will serve as good opponents for our disciples. Real-world experience is something that our disciples sorelyck." Lan Xi hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Sect Leader, there is one more matter to consider regarding a new outer sect disciple." Mei Hua moved her gaze away from theke and looked back at Lan Xi, "Ah, Shen Yuan. I was wondering when you will bring him up." Her lips curled slightly, "What about him?" "He has made a tremendous impact on the outer sect in a very short time," Her tone filled with admiration. "Hepletely surpassed all the pagoda''s records that were set, both the current records and the old records. And now all the outer court disciples look at him as their role model, even thezier disciples have started working extra hard after hearing his speech. But sending him with them¡­" Mei Hua''s eyes sparkled in amusement, "Yes, he is exceptional, that''s the reason I epted him in the sect. But you are concerned that he will overshadow all of our disciples and might be a target for other sects?" "Precisely," Lan Xin nodded, "The other sects will surely notice him due to his strength. Some might even consider him a threat, especially due to the Ancestral Pagoda in his possession, even though we have already released news that the Ancestors took away the pagoda after its mission was done, the other sects won''t believe it that easily." Mei Hua smiled hearing her question, "Shen Yuan is not someone who will grow up in a sheltered environment. If we try to hide him, he would just expose himself even more, or worse, we might stunt his growth. He needs challenges to sharpen himself, just like any other disciple. Besides," she added with a soft chuckle, "He has both the Ancestral Pagoda and his own Mother for backup, with those two I can only think of a handful of people who can threaten his life. And either way, a little bit of attention is good for him." Lan Xi''s brow furrowed slightly, "Do you think the other sects will really target him? Even after knowing he has our entire sect as his backing?" Mei Hua chuckled softly, "Desperate times call for desperate measures Little Xi, they might not do that outright but if Shen Yuan shined too brightly they will start to move in the shadows." "But can''t we do som-" Before Lan Xi could finish Mei Hua waved her hand dismissively. "Let them. Shen Yuan can handle a little trouble himself. He has already shown enough intelligence and restraint to do that, and if the higher-level members of the secte forward to hurt Shen Yuan then we will take action as well." Chapter 159: Disciples Reaction She paused as her presence became heavy, radiating an aura of authority,"Even if our cultivation techniques lean on the gentle side, that doesn''t mean anyone can bully us. We have been silent for far too long, people might have forgotten that we are a Divine Sect as well. Heh, it will be a good chance to show them what we are." Lan Xi nodded her head, sensing the confidence in the Sect Leader''s voice, "Then it is decided. Shen Yuan will join the expedition." Mei Hua stood up, her robes fluttering with the wind, "Yes. We will send Shen Yuan along with the promising discip-" "Cough, sorry to interrupt you Sect Leader, but I heard Shen Yuan entered closed-door seclusion today." Lan Xi turned her head to the other side, not wanting to meet Mei Hua''s gaze. "..." Mei Hua''s smile cracked as she looked at the red-faced Lan Xi. ¡­ Meanwhile, in a secluded chamber deep within the Radiant Heart Peak, Elder Xiang Mei sat in the lotus position, cultivating peacefully. A subtle ripple appeared in the chamber''s protective formation as she received a message from Mei Hua. Opening her eyes, she gazed towards Sect Leader''s hall thoughtfully as her eyes flickered with excitement. "So, I am to protect the young ones during this expedition together with those two? And even that new disciple Shen Yuan will be going, hmm." Her expression turned yful, "And the order to intimidate the other sects, hehe. Looks like Sect Leader had enough of their bullshit and decided to ce them in their spot. This Mystique Realm might prove more pivotal than expected." She stood up gracefully, her ample bosom heaving up and down, "Time to go and meet up with those two, we should make some preparations for our grand wee. ¡­ Over the next few days, the sect buzzed with activity as news of the uing Mystique Realm spread amongst the disciples. The training grounds were filled with excited disciples who wanted to join the expedition. The anticipation became palpable due to the zeal of the disciples. At the sparring grounds, a pair of disciples shed fiercely, their movements quick and precise. A small crowd had gathered around the ring, watching intently in hopes of learning something. "I heard the Mystique Realm is filled with treasures from the ancient time, waiting for the faithful to pick them up."One disciple whispered to her friend as they watched the match. A disciple standing some distance away heard her and smirked, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "Hah! Even if the ancient sages left treasures inside the Mystique Realm, they wouldn''t bother with someone like you. You wouldn''t be able to coax a lust demon, let alone im a treasure." The first disciple felt her lips tremble as she sharply turned her face towards that disciple and showed her middle finger towards her, and then raised another finger and motioned it up The first disciple''s face flushed red with both anger and embarrassment. She spun around sharply, her eyes narrowing at the girl who had spoken. Without missing a beat, she shot her a nasty grin before raising her middle finger. Then, she raised another finger, teasingly wiggling them in the air. "Keep talking, bitch, and I''ll shove something up that tight ass of yours next time!" She slowly spread her fingers apart while maintaining eye contact with the first disciple. The second disciple''s eye twitched as she saw her actions, but she replied, her tone turning sultry, "Oh, really? Maybe that''s what I''ve been waiting for." she winked yfully with a teasing tone "Ugh, enough you two!" "Yeah, we all know how much you ''like'' each other. No need to show that here." "Go find a room you horny bitches." Explore more stories with m,v l''e-NovelBin [A/N- One step away from writing one extra chap here. Help the horni is taking over.] ¡­ The surrounding disciples felt their faces turning red at their brazen words as they cursed them loudly to go find a room. "And here I am, more worried about the dangers we will face inside the Mystique Realm." another disciple spoke up, crossing her arms. "Only those up to the Inner Sea Realm can enter, but who knows what kind of beast or traps we''ll face in there." "Still," another disciple chimed in, her voice filled with excitement, "Can you imagine returning with a legendary artifact? You''d be promoted to the position of a Core Disciple in no time." ¡­ At another location, a pair of younger disciples sat against a wall, painting heavily after their intense session. One of them wiped the sweat from her brow and nudged the other with a grin. "Do you think we''ll get to see Shen Yuan in action?" she asked eagerly. Herpanion, equally out of breath, rolled her eyes. "Why does everyone keep talking about him? He is just another disciple, nothing more." "Are you kidding me?" the first disciple replied, her voice rising slightly in excitement, "He''s not just any disciple. Hepleted the Ancestral Pagoda trial, which no one has been able to clear since the sect''s founding. And just recently he broke all records on the training ground pagodas. I heard even the Sect Leader has her eyes on him!" A third disciple, who had been quietly meditating at the side, chimed in, "I heard he''s only at the Foundation Establishment Realm despite his monstrous strength. With him, we might be able to leave the Mystique Realm alive if he protected us a bit." The second disciple scoffed but she couldn''t hide the rising interest she had towards him. "We''ll see. Strength isn''t everything. The Mystique Realm isn''t just about raw power." ¡­ As these conversations spread around the sect, Wan Ling sat under a cherry blossom tree, studying a scroll she got from the library intently. Ling Mei approached her with a light smile. "Have you finished the manual you got from the library yet or not?" Wan Ling raised her head, looking at Ling Mei with a smile, "I already finished that Senior Sister. I''m reading about the MystiqueRealm currently, even though we don''t have information regarding the recent one where we will be going, reading about the older Mystique Realms is also quite helpful." "Indeed," Ling Mei agreed, taking a seat beside her. "Have you heard? The higher-ups have decided to send Shen Yuan with us." Wan Ling''s cheeks flushed ever so slightly, "I thought he was in seclusion." "He is," Ling Mei confirmed. "But surely he won''t be unlucky enough to miss the opening of the Mystique Realm. It seems the Sect Leader herself has taken an interest in his progress." Wan Ling nodded thoughtfully, "He will be a great help in the MystiqueRealm. His guidance alone has helped me a lot." Ling Mei nced at her with a knowing smile. "It seems he has taken quite the special care of you." Wan Ling''s blush deepened. "It''s not like that, Senior Sister. He only took care of me in his spare time. And I really admire his dedication and skills." "Of course," Ling Mei replied lightly. "Regardless, we should make some preparations for ourselves as well. The Mystique Realm will test us all." "You''re right," Wan Ling agreed, her expression bing resolute. "Let''s give it our all." Ling Mei smiled lightly seeing her determined look. "I heard about your n, looks like you are in a tough position." Wan Ling smiled bitterly, "My parents have done the best for me, I can''t betray their expectations." They surroundings fell into silence. ¡­ Chapter 160: Mastering Intents Ling Mei smiled lightly seeing her determined look. ¡­ Back inside the Grand Hall, Mei Hua stood before arge, detailed map depicting the surrounding regions known Sects, ns, Kingdoms, etc. Markers indicated the position of allied and rival sects. A soft knock interrupted her thoughts as she looked towards the door and said, "Enter." An Inner Sect Elder stepped in, bowing respectfully, "Sect Leader, letters have arrived from the Azure Sky Sect and the Ironwood Mountain n." Mei Hua raised an eyebrow, and asked lightly, "Oh? What do they have to say?" "They propose a meeting to discuss the cooperation between our Sects and n within the Mystique Realm," the Elder reported. "They suggest that wee up with some ground rules for the realm and our disciples can benefit more from working together rather than working against each other." Mei Hua''s eyes narrowed slightly, "Quite a tempting offer. Considering that our sect''s young disciples are weakerpared to their peers due to our cultivation manuals. But we can''t trust them fully as well." She tapped her fingers on the table, thinking for a second before answering, "Send polite replies expressing our gratitude for their approach. We will consider their offer and respond before the Mystique Realm opens." "Yes, Sect Leader," the elder said before retreating. After the elder left, Mei Hua pondered the situation, "Cooperation or thinly veiledpetition? We must tread carefully, otherwise our feet will get dirty in these muddy waters." Her gazended on the map once again, "The Mystique Realm may hold many opportunities for the young ones, but the dangers will be equally great. The rest will depend on the disciples fortune and what choice the sect made regarding the cooperation." ¡­ Later that evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow over the entire sect, the air became filled with youthful energy. All the disciples trained ardously to reach thier peak state before going for the Mystique Realm. In his closed-door cultivation, Shen Yuan also got wind of the news as his lips curled into a smile. He stood at the edge of his plum blossom tree, enjoying wine while looking at the falling petals He had a feeling something would soon happen so he was looking out for any new news, and that''s how he found out about it so far. "Looks like the sect will be quite lively for some time now." He smiled lightly while gulping his wine. [It was already lively after your arrival.] Yue Lan remarkedzily, lying down on a table beside him in her cat form. "But this time it will be lively with the disciple''s motivation to train harder. This is the best thing a sect can hope for, hard-working and dedicated disciples." He shook his head and replied to her. [That is true as well, but what will you do now? Will you join in on the fun or continue your seclusion?] "Weren''t you angry with me?" Shen Yuan asked with a yful smirk on his face. [Hmph! Forgive? You wish. But you''re decent enough entertainment, so I''ll let it slide. For now.] Shen Yuan shook his head, "And yes, I will join in on the fun, but I won''t leave my closed-door seclusion behind as well. I will first finish here and then meet up with them." He raised his hand and released a wisp of Sword Intent, slicing the surrounding plum blossom flowers in half from the middle. [You are really incredible. Already mastered the second level of the Sword Intent in under a day.] Shen Yuan chuckled softly, "This is merely the beginning. Just wait and see how I will master the other intents. But they will take more time since I have focused the most on my Sword." Shen Yuan continued to sip his wine as the breeze carried the petals of the plum blossom tree around him. [You seem unusually calm considering the chaos you''re about to cause when you finally step out of seclusion,] Yue Lan teased, her feline form stretchingzily on the table next to him. "Chaos?" Shen Yuan chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "I think you''re overestimating the reactions of the sect disciples." [Am I?] Yue Lan''s eyes shed mischievously. [You''re about to stroll back into a sect full of disciples who have been training relentlessly, desperate to prove themselves in the Mystique Realm. Imagine their faces when you show up, casually mastering a level of intent that most Inner Sect disciples struggle with. It''s bound to cause a stir.] Shen Yuan shrugged, finishing thest of his wine and cing the gourd back. "I''ll only be joining them after I''ve wrapped up here. No point in letting my training go to waste. Besides, I still have other intents to refine." [Speaking of which, how do you n to handle them all? You''ve already pushed your Sword Intent and Saber Intent to the second level, and you''ve been ying with others as well. What''s next on the list?] Find your next read on m_v l|e-NovelBin Shen Yuan nced at the petals swirling around him, his expression thoughtful. "Bow Intent, perhaps. It''s always been a closepanion to Sword Intent, taking care of both long-range and short-range battles. But I would need to carefully bnce both of them, it might take me a while to do that." Yue Lan smirked, her feline form flicking her tail yfully. [Careful bnce, huh? You mean you''ll master it in half the time and then start learning a different intent?] Shen Yuan chuckled but didn''t deny it. "We''ll see. I''m not in a rush. The Mystique Realm isn''t going anywhere, and I have time before the sect truly gets moving. Or the worst case, I just won''t join in on the fun." He soon took a deep breath and sat down beneath the plum blossom tree to meditate. Soon, time passed as the petals drifted gently around him. His eyes were closed, and his breath steady as he delved deeper into meditation. Focusing on other weapons such as Bow, Spear, Axe, Pole, Sycthe, and more. The air around him vibrated subtly as he visualized each weapon in his mind. He imagined the weight of a spear in his hand, the tension on the string while drawing a bow¡­ Each intent required not just a highprehension level but a will to learn the essence of a weapon. For this reason, it is easier for those who love their weapons to master an Intent. Days turned into weeks as Shen Yuan immersed himself in this intense cultivation. With each passing day, he made more progress and mastered various intents. The Spear Intent flowed like a river¡ªdirect and piercing. The Bow Intent is fast and precise. The Scythe being deadly and sneaky. ¡­ News soon spread around the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect that apetition would be held among the outer sect disciples to select ten representatives for the Mystique Realm. The announcement sent the disciples into a frenzy as they cultivated with all they had for thepetition, none wanted to lose in such an important tournament. The training grounds buzzed with activity as Wan Ling practiced her sword techniques with unwavering focus. Her movements and improved so much that if someone who knew her saw her current mastery, they would doubt whether if its the same person or not. Chapter 161: Departing for the Mystique Realm Ling Mei approached with a smile on her face. "You''re improving rapidly, if you continue like this you might even surpass me." She remarked teasingly. Wan Ling paused, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead. "I''ve been training hard for thispetition. It might be fierce, but I want to earn my ce fairly." Ling Mei nodded. "I have no doubt you''ll seed. Shen Yuan didn''t train you for nothing after all.." Wan Ling looked around the training grounds, where groups of disciples sparred and exchanged pointers. "Do you think Shen Yuan will participate?" Ling Mei''s eyes sparkled with amusement. "He''s in seclusion, isn''t he? I think he wille out of his seclusion before the sect starts itspetition." ¡­ The day of thepetition soon arrived, and the atmosphere boiled with anticipation. The Grand Arena at another part of the Outer Sect was filled with spectators and participants alike. Elder Lan Xi stood atop a raised tform, addressing the gathered disciples. "Today, we gather to witness the skill and adaptability of our outer sect disciples," she announced. "The ten who stood till the end will earn the honor of representing our sect in the Mystique Realm." Thepetition was structured in multiple stages, each designed to test different aspects of a cultivator''s abilities. The first stage focused on the strength of a cultivator, pitting disciples against each other in one-on-onebat. Wan Ling''s first match was against a disciple who was known for her agility and swift sword techniques. As the duel began, Wan Ling remained calm, remembering the training she had with Shen Yuann, she utilized her own refined sword skills. She anticipated her opponent''s moves, countering with precision and force. In the end, with a decisive strike, she knocked her opponent out of the ring. Ling Mei fought with another Inner Sect disciple, she showcased her mastery of Qi maniption and strategy from her long years of cultivation. Facing an opponent with a powerful offense, she used feint attacks and clever tactics to outmaneuver and defeat her. As thepetition progressed, the challenges grew moreplex. The second stage tested strategic thinking and teamwork. Disciples were grouped randomly and given tasks that required cooperation and quick decision-making. Wan Ling and Ling Mei found themselves on the same team, working seamlessly together to ovee the obstacles presented. "Aren''t we quite lucky to be on the same team here?" Ling Mei yfully said while solving a puzzle. "Hehe, it might be fate." Wan Ling softly giggled and continued solving the puzzle as well. Throughout thepetition, whispers circted about Shen Yuan''s absence. "Do you think he''ll show up?" one disciple asked. "I heard he''s still in seclusion," another replied. "But with his achievements, the elders might give him a spot anyway." At the end of thepetition, Elder Lan Xi addressed the assembly once more. "The results are out after a discussion between the elders. The following disciples have earned their ces for the Mystique Realm expedition: Wan Ling, Ling Mei, Li Yan, Feng Xia, Mei Lin, Zhao Lian, Chen Yue, Liu Ruo, Gao Xiu, and Shen Yuan." A murmur rippled through the crowd. "But Shen Yuan didn''t participate," someone whispered. Elder Lan Xi raised a hand to quiet the audience. "Shen Yuan is currently in seclusion. He has already proved himself during the trial of the Ancestral Pagoda andter at the pagodas of the training ground, the sect has decided to grant him a ce among the participating disciples." Some disciples were still not convinced, and Lan Xi also saw this as she added, "But the disciples can take his ce as well." All the disciples looked at her in excitement, thinking they might have a chance after all. But the next words Lan Xi spoke crushed whatever little hope they had gathered. "Whoever can beat his records in the training ground can take his ce." "..." The disciples got silent as they epted their fate. Wan Ling sighed in relief and felt her anticipation building. "I''m d he''ll be joining us," she said to Ling Mei. Ling Mei smiled. "Him joining our group means, we will get much stronger, our team might even be invincible inside the Mystique Realm." ¡­ As the selected disciples made their preparations for the journey ahead, the sect buzzed with discussions of thepetition''s highlights and the special ce that Shen Yuan got without participating. In his private courtyard, Shen Yuan remained deep in meditation, unaware of the outside world''s events. His focus was solely on refining his mastery of the weapon intents. Yue Lan''s voice gently interrupted his thoughts. [Thepetition has concluded. You''ve been granted a ce in the expedition.] He opened his eyes slowly. "I see. I must say the elders made a wise decision. Otherwise, I would be quite disappointed in them." [Will you emerge from seclusion now?] He shook his head. "Not yet. I feel like I can master the second level of these Intents as well. The Mystique Realm is not going anywhere, but my inspiration might be lost. I will leave after finishing my cultivation." [Very well. Just don''t miss the opening.] "I won''t," he chuckled softly and assured her. ¡­ Mei Hua, along with a few elders, discussed the results of thepetition and the uing expedition to the Mystique Realm. "Shen Yuan hasn''t emerged from his seclusion yet," one elder remarked. "Should we wait for him before sending the disciples?" Mei Hua smiled softly, her gaze calm but thoughtful. "Shen Yuan wille out of his seclusion when he''s ready, we can''t rush him for this. He won''t miss an opportunity like the Mystique Realm, but we can''t dy the entire expedition for one disciple." Lan Xi, standing beside Mei Hua, added, "Indeed. The realm can open up anytime now, and we cannot afford to hold back. Let the others go ahead. Shen Yuan can join themter when he is ready. One of the guardian elders can stay behind and escort him when he exits seclusion." Mei Hua nodded in agreement. "Yes, Elder Xiang Mei will remain behind. When Shen Yuan emerges, she will bring him to the Mystique Realm. The others will depart as nned." "Yes, Sect Leader!" All the elders bowed and epted hermands. "Ugh, you guys are always so rigid." Mei Hua shook her head ¡­ As the day of departure approached, the selected disciples gathered at the sect''s main gate, ready to depart from the sect. Elder Lan Xi and other elders provided final instructions and well wishes. Wan Ling looked around the group, noticing that Shen Yuan was still missing. "I hope he makes it in time," she murmured. Ling Mei ced a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "He will. Shen Yuan isn''t one to miss fun events from what I have observed." Elder Lan Xi addressed the group. "Shen Yuan is still in seclusion. He will join up with your disciples when he emerges. Until then, proceed with confidence and uphold the values of our sect. And do not fear others as you also have Sect elders together with you for the journey." Wan Ling, Ling Mei, and the other disciples nodded their heads, their eyes filled with determination. And with that, all of them departed from the sect, ready to face the challenges ahead. ¡­ "Ugh, I will bete." Chapter 162: Market "Ugh, I will bete." Shen Yuan grunted as he looked at the sky while different Intents radiated from his body. He had already mastered all the intents that he wanted to train during this seclusion session to the second level. [Are you going to catch up with them now?] Yue Lan''s voice echoed inside his head. Shen Yuan shook his head, "No rush, I need to make a few preparations because from what I heard about the restrictions of the secret realm, there will be more things to look out for than just enemies." [That is true as well, so what have you decided on?] "Hmm¡­I will look for a few things inside the sect before meeting up with an elder to discuss the Mystique Realm." Shen Yuan stood up from beneath the plum blossom tree as he stretched his hands. [True, true,] Yue Lan agreed, her usual yful voice turning more serious. [Many disciples focus too much on their martial skills and forget the importance of supplementary artifacts or other items.] Shen Yuan nodded. "Exactly, I''ll need special pills, talismans, and maybe some strange artifacts. There''s no harm in being over-prepared." Yue Lan silently agreed with him as he made his way out of his courtyard. Shen Yuan made his way toward the marketce within the outer sect, gazing at the various ces of the sect while the disciples looked at him in bewilderment. He soon reached his destination. The marketce was bustling with activity as usual. Stalls were lined up on both sides, selling various tools and resources for cultivation, ranging from rare herbs and pills to various treasures that could aid inbat or defense. Shen Yuan walked through the crowd, drawing attention from the disciples here as well. As the disciples couldn''t help but steal nces at him, recognizing him from his mere presence alone. "That''s Shen Yuan, isn''t it?" one disciple whispered to another. "I thought he was supposed to go together with the rest of the disciples," another replied. "Did he juste out of seclusion just now?" A third disciple spoke up. ¡­. Ignoring the murmurs, Shen Yuan made his way toward a stall that he had visited previously. He had previously seen that the resources sold here were of high quality, so he came to fill up his stock here. The stall was filled with all sorts of pills, talismans, weapons, and various artifacts. "Ah, Senior Brother Shen Yuan," the stall owner greeted him with a friendly smile while looking at him curiously. "What can I help you with today?" Shen Yuan noticed her weird gaze and asked with a smile, "What are you thinking about looking at me with such curiosity?" The stall owner gathered up her courage and asked. "I heard that you were selected to go together with the disciples towards the Mystique Realm, but I see that you are still strolling around the market. Have you decided not to participate in it?" Shen Yuan chuckled softly, "It''s not like that, I just came out of seclusion, I came here to get some resources before heading towards the Mystique Realm." The stall owner''s eyes lit up as she asked in slight excitement, "Oh? Then you must have made some progress. What do you think about the mystique realm? Will you suffer some losses inside?" Shen Yuan smirked and replied, "I might face some difficulties but no other disciple can threaten me inside of the Mystique Realm." The stall owner couldn''t help but giggle softly, "Haha, you are quite confident about yourself. I wonder if it''s just arrogance or confidence." "You can deduce it by looking at my past records, the disciples shouldn''t have forgotten about them in merely a month''s time." She chuckled and changed the topic, "Anyways, anything you fancy here?" Shen Yuan nodded, "Yes, give me a few gourds of detoxification pills, poison resistance pills, QI replenishing pills, healing pills, spirit beast repent pills¡­ a few barrier talismans, strength enhancing talismans, concealment or invisibility talismans, teleportation talismans, illusion breaking talismans¡­" He continued to list a few more types of things before stopping and looking at the wide eyed stall owner. "Are you going into a Mystique Realm or nning to wage a fucking war. Why would you even need that many supplies?" She couldn''t help but curse hearing the amount of things Shen Yuan had listed to buy. Shen Yuan chuckled, "Most of them are not for me but for the disciples who I will be looking after inside the Mystique Realm." "You think they can''t take care of themselves just because they are women?" Her eyes sharpened as she waited for Shen Yuan''s response. "Yes¡ª" Shen Yuan paused slightly, seeing her expression before continuing, "¡ªterday I had a talk with my friend about this issue. The disciples of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect are more naive and gentle due to their inexperience in the outside world. Otherwise, they won''t lose to any of the other sect''s disciples." The stall owner''s expression improved as she listened to his exnation, contemting it over while Shen Yuan continued. "That''s why the sect decided to send the disciples to this Mystique Realm, so they can temper themselves and improve their temperament." "There is logic in what you say, but who is this friend you are talking about? Weren''t you in seclusion until just recently?" She asked curiously, wondering who apanied him during his closed-door cultivation. "I made that up." Shen Yuan replied to her question but before she could follow that up, he continued, "Anyways, do you have all the things I asked for here or should I take them from somewhere else?" "I can get them all for you, no need to look for somewhere else. Just give me a moment." She spoke and sent out another disciple who was working under her to fetch a few things. ¡­ Meanwhile, at the Mystique realm''s entrance, the disciples from the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect had already arrived. Wan Ling, Ling Mei, and the other girls stood with their heads held high, taking pride in being disciples of one of the most prestigious sects of their Zone. But it didn''t take long for them to notice the disdainful nces from the Ironwood Mountain nn disciples. The disciples from Azure Sky Sect and Ironwood Mountain n had already gathered at the entrance of the Mystique Realm. The Ironwood Mountain n''s disciples'' smug grins dripped with disdain as they looked at the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect disciples while whispering amongst themselves. "Looks like the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect sent their weakest disciples for this expedition," one of the disciples from the Ironwood Mountain n Sneered. "Their cultivation technique might be impressive but they are only good for healing at the beginning stages, they won''t survive the real dangers of the world." A few others chuckled in agreement, "I heard they rely too much on their healing abilities that their offensive abilities are only subpar, they won''t be able to do much inside of the Mystique Realm." Wan Ling overheard their conversation and clenched her fist in frustration. Ling Mei ced a reassuring hand on her shoulder, whispering, "Ignore them. We''ll prove what we have learned inside the Mystique Realm." Chapter 163: Leaving for the Mystique Realm One of the Ironwood Mountain n''s disciples, a tall and arrogant-looking young man, approached with a smirk on his face, "Where is that new male cultivator who recently passed that pagoda''s trial and joined your sect as an outer disciple? Did he already get cold feet and refuse to join in on the Mystique Realm?" The Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect disciple remained silent, not wanting to create an unnecessary conflict right before entering the sect since their higher-ups agreed to cooperate with each other. But it was clear that the Ironwood Mountain n''s disciples wanted to create a conflict before entering the Mystique Realm, not only due to their cultivation techniques being better for offense but because of the absence of Shen Yuan as well. They finally get a chance to take a hit at Lotus Sect''s reputation for this reason. "He''ll be here," Wan Ling said firmly, her voice filled with unshakable confidence in Shen Yuan, "And you should better keep your mouth shut, else he shut you up permanently when he arrives." The tall disciple from the Ironwood Mountain n raised an eyebrow in amusement, "We''ll see about that. He better not be a joke after your Sect hyped him up so much. And just try not to get in our way inside, we wouldn''t want to have to rescue you." Ling Mei''s eyes shed with a dangerous glint, but she didn''t explode, instead, she replied calmly, "We''ll handle ourselves just fine. You should worry about your own group." The Azure Sky Sect disciple scoffed and walked away, joining his group as they prepared to enter the Mystique Realm. Wan Ling took a deep breath, calming herself. "They''re going to regret looking down on us." Ling Mei nodded in agreement. "Let''s focus on the Mystique Realm for now. We need to give it our all lest we die inside. It will be a lot easier once Shen Yuan joins us." During the entire interaction, the Elders of the respective sects didn''t interfere as they let the young ones settle the issue among themselves. They stood high in the air, calmly looking at the crack in space leading toward the Mystique Realm. ¡­ "Here, Senior Brother Shen Yuan, I have gathered all the things you asked for from nearly the entire market. But I picked more than one type of a single thing you asked for. For example, I have bought tens of types of detoxification pills alone, and dozens of gourds per pill." She told him in a proud tone that not just anyone can ask the entire market for their goods. Shen Yuan inspected the items, seeing if something was below his standard before nodding in approval. "I''ll take them all." The stall owner blinked in surprise, her expression briefly turning to disbelief before she quickly regained her calm. "All of them? Senior Brother Shen Yuan, this would cost¡ª" "I know what it''ll cost," Shen Yuan cut her off with a calm smile. He reached into his pocket and casually ced a storage ring filled with mountains of spirit stones on the counter, causing the stall owner''s eyes to widen in shock. The sheer amount of wealth Shen Yuan offered was staggering¡ªenough to bankrupt even some of the outer sect elders. It was clear that Shen Yuan wasn''t someone who cared much for the price, only the quality and use of the items. "Are you trying to buy out my entire stock?" the stall owner joked nervously, clearly taken aback. "This is a fortunerge enough that the entire outer sect can train the disciples for months or even years with that." Shen Yuan smiled and replied casually, "Consider it a payment for my peace of mind inside the Mystique Realm. Besides, I''d love to help my fellow sect disciples in their time of need." He spoke with a gentle smile, but the stall owner felt something amiss in his words, but she dismissed them. She stared at the spirit stones, still processing the transaction. With a grateful nod, she quickly gathered everything Shen Yuan had requested¡ªan array of detoxification pills, poison resistance pills, Qi replenishing pills, healing pills, spirit beast repent pills, and more. Along with the pills, she handed over barrier talismans, strength-enhancing talismans, concealment talismans, a few rare teleportation and illusion-breaking talismans, and more. As Shen Yuan began storing the items in his spatial ring, the stall owner leaned forward and spoke in a quieter tone. "Senior Brother, with this amount of preparation, are you expecting something more dangerous than the disciples of other sects or beasts inside the Mystique Realm?" Shen Yuan paused for a moment, looking at her with a thoughtful expression. But he soon shook his head and replied with a light chuckle, "It''s not that I expect some dangers from other disciples...but we all know that Mystique Realms hold more than just enemies on the surface. There could be traps, unknown dangers, or even things none of us are prepared for. It''s always better to be cautious and prepare yourself as much as you can." The stall owner nodded in agreement. "You''re right. May the heavens bless your path, Senior Brother Shen Yuan." As Shen Yuan gave a final nod of thanks and turned around to leave, he felt a faint presence moving towards him. He looked up to see a beautiful woman descending from the sky on a flying artifact, a graceful lotus-shaped tform made of pure crystal. The woman''s aura was gentle yet imposing, her mere presence silenced the entire bustling marketce. When Shen Yuan finally got a chance to look at her, he saw a violet-haired woman with sharp emerald-green eyes, wearing a tight robe that clung to her curvy figure, especially around her chest and hips, descending gracefully on a glowing lotus-shaped tform. "Disciple Shen Yuan," Elder Xiang Mei called out with a gentle smile, "It''s really hard to meet up with you." "Greetings Elder," Shen Yuan cupped his fist and greeted her, then continued, "I just finished my closed-door cultivation, otherwise I would have met up with you way sooner." Elder Xiang Mei''s eyes nced briefly at the storage ring ced in her corner, she scanned it with her divine sense and saw the pile of spirit stones, her brow raising slightly before she spoke again. "Looks like Senior Yuxin gave you quite a fortune to spend." Shen Yuan smiled calmly but didn''t correct her as these spirit stones were some of the things he got during his teenage years while doing daily missions. "I''m here to escort you to the Mystique Realm. The other disciples have already left, but I was assigned to bring you there once your seclusion ended." She continued seeing his reaction. Shen Yuan nodded, his expression turning serious. "I appreciate that, Elder. I wanted to make a few preparations before joining them." Elder Xiang Mei nodded approvingly. "I saw your ''few preparations''. Anyway, that''s wise of you. But it''s time to depart now. The realm has already been opened and the disciples entered, we don''t want you to lose this opportunity, we need to hurry." Shen Yuan took onest look around the marketce and bid farewell to the stall owner before stepping onto the lotus-shaped flying artifact. Chapter 164: Inside the Mystique Realm As they ascended into the sky, the bustling noise from the marketce faded away, leaving only the calm winds of the sky to apany the two of them. Elder Xiang Mei looked at Shen Yuan with a curious smile on her face, "You know how big of a stir you caused when the sect decided to give you one of the 10 positions for the Mystique Realm, yet you didn''t leave your seclusion when the time came to join it." Shen Yuan sat down on the flying artifact and calmly spoke, "I know, but that''s all the more reason for me not to leave my seclusion so I can be better prepared for what is toe inside the Mystique Realm." "Is that why you emptied out half of the market to buy supplies for the Mystique Realm?" She teased him in a light tone. "I have a good idea for what to do with them, heh. I won''t suffer a loss with this deal that I made." Shen Yuan spoke with a confident smirk on his face. "Oh? Looks like you n to do more than just use it for yourself." Xiang Mei spoke curiously to Shen Yuan. "You will know about thatter." Shen Yuan didn''t wait for her to follow up with a question but continued, "Anyway, tell me about the politics between the sects that will be participating in this expedition. I don''t think our sect is strong enough to swallow this pie alone." Xiang Mei paused slightly as she thought about it for a second but soon sighed, "It''s not that we are not strong enough to take this pie for ourselves but if we do that then the other sects might band up together against us in the future, we need to look out for all possible threats." "So the sect is not strong enough to swallow the pie alone." Shen Yuanzily replied. "...Fair enough," She admitted what he said was correct but continued, "With that out of the way, let''s talk about the participating sects, there is one sect and one more n participating during this expedition. Ironwood Mountain n and Azure Sky Sect." "Hmm¡­one n and one sect, how does their strengthpare to ours? Are they also Divine Level Powers?" Shen Yuan''s expression turned serious as even he had to take the influence and power of a Divine Level behemoth seriously. Xiang Mei chuckled softly, "How can there be so many Divine Level sects in merely one area? They are one rank below the Divine Level, both sect and n are at the Imperial Level." Shen Yuan raised an eye curiously, "Then how dare theypete with us for resources? Do they not know their ce?" "Because they are under other Divine Rank influences, we can''t attack them openly lest we begin an all-out war against the other sects." She patiently exined. Shen Yuan nodded his head in contemtion, and he soon asked, "And who amongst them oppose us?" "The Ironwood Mountain Sect. Due to our past interaction, they have some negative opinions about us, but their older generation is smart and doesn''t take things too far. We can also use their disciples to sharpen our young ones." Xiang Mei replied in a yful tone. Shen Yuan understood her words as he fell into silence, thinking what he could do inside the secret realm. "How are the other sects taking in my presence here? Are they wary of me or thinking I got inside the sect with my connections?" Shen Yuan asked. "They have been wary of you but since you didn''t join the expedition from the beginning they have started to doubt your strength, the sect''s disciples also had to listen to their disdainful words due to your absence." She gave him a side-eye while mentioning this. Shen Yuan''s eyes turned slightly cold as he smiled, "Looks like they won''t cry until they see their coffin. Very well, I will help them to engrave the name ''Shen Yuan'' deep inside their hearts." ¡­ Back inside the Mystique Realm, just as the disciples of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect stepped foot inside, they were greeted by a rough eeriendscape. The air was filled with an oppressive aura, the ground beneath them was covered in dark vegetation. Strange, towering trees loomed above their heads, casting an eerie shadow. Wan Ling and Ling Mei exchanged nces as their bodies tensed, their earlier confidence taking a hit. It was clear that the Mystique Realm was not something that they were prepared for, even if they read about it in the records, they felt overwhelmed when faced with the real thing. "This ce¡­" Ling Mei muttered, her eyes narrowing, "feels ominous, it would be better if we proceed with caution." The other disciples nodded their heads and spread around in a circle to inspect the area for any hidden dangers. They soon heaved a sigh as they didn''t find any spirit beast. But as soon as their bodies rxed, a soft wind blew, almost as if whispering in their ears. In an instant, all of them drew their weapons as they felt something ominousing from up ahead. "I feel like something is running in our direction." Chen Yue, another inner sect disciple said, her voice shivering slightly. Ling Mei listened intently for a second before getting in a stance, "Get ready! A spirit beast is approaching us, this is not the first time for us to handle them, just stay sharp and don''t lose focus." Just as she spoke, a low growl echoed from the deep forest ahead. The disciples all got in their stances, their bodies tensing due to the growing noise of the beast. "It''s just a spirit beast," Gao Xiu said in a brave voice, yet the slight tremble of her hand betrayed her inner turmoil. The environment was affecting them more than they thought, otherwise, in the outside world, they wouldn''t have panicked like this. Soon, as the growl became clear as a hulking monster emerged from the shadow of the forest. With red eyes, think and ck fur smeared with dried blood. Its ws were as long as swords, and its breath reeked of death and decay. "Wha-what is that?" Zhao Lian mmered, taking a step back. "I don''t know," Ling Mei still managed to remain calm in this situation, though her grip tightened on her weapon, "probably a mutated spirit beast, the environment of this Mystique Realm might have changed it." Before they could finish their discussion, the beats lunged forward, targeting the weakest of the group¡ªLiu Ruo. She barely managed to raise her light sword up to deflect the attack, yet her sword trembled under the intense force. Ling Mei and Chen Yue sprinted forward to assist her. Ling Mei shed at the creature''s side with her sword, while Chen Yue used her spells to enhance her attack and targeted the beast''s neck for a fatal wound. The beast howled in pain, but it didn''t stop. Instead, it turned its attention towards the two of them, its eyes burning with fury as it roared at them. Wan Ling also joined in with them as she used her sword techniques to sh at the joints of the beats, yet that proved useless as the cuts were not deep enough to leave any fatal wound on the beast. Chapter 165: Retreat The disciples of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect fought skillfully, utilizing the terrain to their advantage and having good cooperation, yet due to their poor offensive capabilities, they weren''t able to take down the beast. "Damn it! Why is it not going down?!" Mei Lin groaned in frustration as she started to feel fear. "We''re not strong enough," Ling Mei admitted through gritted teeth as she narrowly dodged another swipe of the beast''s ws. "Our offensive techniques aren''t good enough to damage the thick hide of this beast." Wan Ling, panting heavily, observed the beast, trying to find a weak point in the creature''s movement, and then she noticed, ''Wait, the beast is slowing down, it is getting exhausted from all the blood loss and the continuous fight.'' But as she was about to tell them that, she saw something else, ''They are getting exhausted as well, I need to tell¡ª'' Before she could continue thinking, Gao Xiu muttered bitterly, "They were right," recalling the scene outside of the Mystique Realm, "Our offensive abilities are reallycking." "Don''t say that!" Wan Ling snapped, "We can''t afford to think like that at this point. We need to continue fighting until either we or the beast is exhausted. We won''t give up. We need to fight until at least Senior Brother Shen Yuan arrives." The mention of his name seemed to light a fire of hope inside everyone, but it wasn''t enough to turn the table against the beast. The beast lunged again, faster this time and Zhao Lian screamed as its ws sliced across her arm, leaving deep bloody gashes. "Retreat!" Ling Meimanded as she saw the desperate looks on the faces of her sect members. They began retreating, but the creature didn''t relent. It pursued them with terrifying speed, attacking them from time to time. "This is bad," Mei Lin panted, ncing over her shoulder. "We can''t keep this up for long." ¡­ As Shen Yuan and Elder Xiang Mei arrived at the entrance of the Mystique Realm, they felt the tension in the atmosphere. The three sect elders look at the entrance of the Mystique Realm intently. Xiang Mei dropped Shen Yuan some distance away from the other sects, she looked at him for a second before saying, "We have two inner sect elders stationed outside the Mystique Realm, you should go and meet up with them before entering the realm." "Hmm¡­so you can''t be seen by others for now, looks like you were decided as the hidden guardian by our sect." Shen Yuan looked at her thoughtfully before sharing his thoughts. "Indeed, now you should hurry up, I don''t want the disciples to get into any danger." She finished saying as she disappeared from the Shen Yuan''s view. Shen Yuan shook his head and moved toward the gate of the Mystique Realm. The gate was opened in the middle of a forest, the path filled with rocks and vines and Shen Yuan felt the fresh air of the forest. He soon reached his destination, the gate of the Mystique Realm looked like a crack in the very fabric of the world. It radiated an ancient aura as Shen Yuan observed the gate. Two women soon descended from the sky as they observed him closely, looking at Shen Yuan in curiosity and sighing in relief seeing him finally here. "Shen Yuan," Yun Lan, one of the inner sect elders began, "The disciples have already entered the Mystique Realm for quite some time, you should enter now as well and meet up with them." Shen Yuan nodded his head and just as he was about to say something, he felt the presence of other higher-ranked cultivators approaching his location. He turned his head to see the elders of Ironwood Mountain n standing some distance away from his location. "So this is the infamous Shen Yuan?" One of the younger elders spoke with a hint of disdain in his voice, "Took him long enough to show up. Or maybe he finally gathered his courage to enter the Mystique Realm? Hahahaha." The surrounding disciplesughed as another one chimed in, "He''s probably nothing special, just someone who got inside the sect with his connections. Let''s see if he can survive inside or not." Shen Yuan calmly smiled at them, treating both the elders and the disciples who didn''t enter the Mystique Realm as if they were clowns. He didn''t waste time with them on their petty quibble as he stepped toward the entrance of the Mystique Realm. On the other side, the Azure Sky Sect''s disciples observed the interaction with thoughtful looks on their faces. One of the elders among them,mented, "The Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect has really found a gem this time. Not only did heplete that absurd trial but his temperament alone makes him exceptional." He paused, his voice changing somewhat, "Yet, I can feel immense arrogance inside of him, if he doesn''t tone it down he might suffer in the future." Another Elder beside him, a white-haired old man with a long beard, spoke something different. "It''s rare for someone of his age to have his abilities, it''s nothing strange to have confidence in his own ability, but other people interpret it as arrogance due to their own shorings. Let the young ones spread their wings, we old bones are enough to cover their backs." Find more chapters on m_v l|e-NovelBin ¡­ Shen Yuan stood before the opening, feeling the aura and preparing himself for what was toe. Elder Yun Lan, seeing him ready to enter the Mystique Realm spoke up, "The other disciples seem to have encountered some trouble, it would be better if you hurry towards them." "I''ll catch up with them soon," Shen Yuan replied calmly, still having absolute confidence in himself. Elder Xiang Mei''s voice echoed in his mind from somewhere, "Be careful in their Shen Yuan, you might have made many preparations but we never know what you will encounter inside there. So, proceed with caution. Shen Yuan just nodded he couldn''t send her a message from so far away. Without hesitating, Shen Yuan entered the Mystique Realm, vanishing from the sight of everyone outside. ¡­ Back where the disciples were fighting the weird beast, they ran for some time until they felt themselves being overwhelmed by the intensity of the fight. Yet the beast was also badly wounded as his body dripped with blood and its thick hide softened from the continuous blows. Just as the beast seemed to overwhelm them, a sudden explosion of Qi ripped through the air, mming into the beast and sending it crashing into the nearby trees. The beast howled in pain as it struggled to rise to its feet. Wan Ling and the others looked up, startled at the sudden intervention. Standing atop a nearby hill was a figure wearing the robes of the Azure Sky Sect holding a long bow. "How weak," the disciple murmured to himself as he descended from the hill, "This is the first beast you had to face, and look at your condition already. This Mystique Realm is really not suitable for you." Ling Mei narrowed her eyes, her pride stinging at being helped by someone who looked down on her before, "We didn''t ask for your help." Chapter 166: Domination "I know," the disciple began as he looked at the howling beast, "But our sects have created an alliance, we can''t ignore each other if they are in trouble. You guys should just leave, you are too weak to survive on your own in this Mystique Realm." He dismissively added, "You should be grateful instead." Another figure emerged from the forest, looking at the disciples of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect, a young woman with icy blue eyes, "We don''t have time to waste on them," she said sharply. "If they can''t handle the Mystique Realm, they shouldn''t be here." The disciples of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect bit their lips in frustration but they couldn''te up with a retort. Just then, the beast stood up and looked towards the male disciples who attacked him with his bow. He roared and sprinted towards him. The disciple took out another arrow from his quill and shot the beast again. But the beast maneuvered slightly and dodged the arrow. The male disciple furrowed his brow and shot at the ground ahead of the beast, SWOOSH, the ground in front of the beast exploded, sending debris flying toward the beast. But it didn''t manage to slow it down, the beast swiped its ws to clear the debris and came in front of the male disciple, but the female disciple took out a spear and swung it hard from the right to hit the side chest of the beast. The beast slid back from the impact while roaring, its eyes turning red due to rage. "What the fuck is this beast made of? The other beasts were not this tough to fight." The male disciple wiped the sweat from his forehead as he wondered what was going on with this beast. "We need to stay alert, this beast is unlike anything we have encountered outside." The icy blue-haired disciple''s expression also turned solemn. "Let''s attack it toge-" Before her words even finished, a loud boom echoed through the Mystique Realm. All eyes turned towards the gate where the crack in space pulsed, sending ripples of energy as something seemed to being inside. Something far more terrifying than anything the Mystique Realm was prepared for. Discover stories with m,v l''e-NovelBin He wasing. ¡­ Shen Yuan opened his eyes after entering the Mystique Realm, seeing the bleak world all around him. "This ce is really different from the Mystique Realms inside of my mom''s mansion." He muttered to himself while observing the ce around him. He closed his eyes to focus on the auras of people who passed from this ce, trying to sense Wan Ling or Ling Mei''s aura. "Found them," He opened his eyes and looked towards the east where they left after entering, he sensed the chaotic Qi in that direction. "Are they fighting?" He wondered as he sprinted towards them, moving much faster than any cultivator at his level is supposed to. He soon reached their ce and saw the situation, one beast fiercely fighting against the disciples of the Azure Sky Sect while the disciples of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect assisted them. Yet they stopped their battle and looked toward his direction, which made him smirk as he slid down from the hill, saying, "Well well well, don''t we have quite the audience here?" He nced at the bow of the male disciple and took out a simr one, knocking an arrow on top and infusing a little bit of his qi into the arrow before shooting the beast. "RAHHH" The beast screamed as it sensed the massive threat from the arrow he was feeling, yet all he could do was wait in agony as the arrow obliterated the top of his body, leaving only the part below his chest in one piece. The disciples'' eyes widened in shock and fear as they saw the disy of might in front of them. They couldn''t believe it was real even after seeing it with their own eyes, the male disciple even pinched himself to see if he was dreaming or not. "Wha¡ª" the male disciple could not even form words as he speechlessly looked at the corpse of the beast in horror. He realized that Shen Yuan could have killed him with that arrow quite easily, yet the icy blue-haired female disciple''s expression was solemn as she looked at Shen Yuan, assessing him for any potential threat. Meanwhile, Wan Ling''s face brightened up as she sprinted toward Shen Yuan, "Senior Brother!!" she screamed as she came in front of him, looking at him with an excited expression. Shen Yuan smiled and patted her head, "How was the exploring without me? You enjoyed yourself?" he asked with a slight chuckle. "Ugh, Senior Brother, don''t tease me now." She puffed up her cheeks and looked away, she knew Shen Yuan was making fun of her due to how they looked right now. Ling Mei and the rest of the disciples finally heaved a sigh of relief as they hadn''t been able to rest since the fight started. They hurriedly came towards him, "Senior brother!!" They all greeted him respectfully, looking at him with bright expressions, feeling as if their pir arrived. "How strong exactly are you?? You killed that beast in one blow." Ling Mei, still feeling her heart pound remembering that attack asked Shen Yuan. "Stronger than everyone inside the Mystique Realm, as long as there is no unexpected situation." Shen Yuan answered honestly, he knew he was the strongest amongst the disciples yet there could be unexpected situations so he had to take measures for them as well. "Why were you sote Senior Brother?" Chen Yue asked, looking at him curiously. Shen Yuan shook his head and moved toward Zhao Lian, looking at her bleeding hand. "Here, eat this." He took out a healing pill from his storage ring and gave it to her. Zhao Lian blushed as she shook her head in refusal, "No, Senior Brother, how can I take something from you, especially a healing pill? I bring some with me for this trip as well." She took out a healing pill to show it to him, but the quality and tier of the pill was clearly inferior to the one Shen Yuan had, he shook his head and shoved the pill in her hand. "Don''t think too much and just take it, just say it is my job to take care of you all." He smiled and turned towards Chen Yue. "As for your question, it''s because I was in seclusion, and I came out today so I hurried over here after making some preparations." He didn''t mention what he did to prepare for the Mystique Realm. Ling Mei joked, "What preparation do you even need? Buy out half of the market to splurge here?" Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow and looked at her in amusement, just as he was about to tease her, he saw the disciples of the Azure Sky Sect slipping away from the corner of his eyes. "My friends from the Azure Sky Sect, why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Shen Yuan moved in the front of the group and stood against the disciples of the Azure Sky Sect, observing them with sharp eyes. Chapter 167: Chat With Huo Rong Both the male disciple and the icy-haired woman felt their backs turning cold as Shen Yuan looked at them, the male cultivator nervously replied, "Haha¡­ha¡­ we saw that the disciples of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect needed help so we came here to lend them a hand, nothing more." Shen Yuan tilted his head back a little and asked, "Is what he saying the truth, Wan Ling?" even though he had a good idea of what happened after looking at the scene, he still wanted to be sure of it. Wan Ling bit her lip as she remembered the disdain they showed for her before, but in the end, she sighed and replied, "Indeed, Senior Brother. They helped us out when the beast was chasing us in the forest." The male disciple and the icy-haired disciple heaved a sigh as they cupped their fist, "We shall meet again if fate wills it, Fellow Daoist." They both turned around and ran away, not wanting to stay a single second longer with Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan also smiled seeing that Wan Ling did not use this opportunity to cause trouble for them but instead spoke the truth of what happened, as for the disdain, there wasn''t anything wrong with that when the disciples of the radiant lotus sacred sect were indeed weak in their offense. "Looks like it''s time to explore the Mystique Realm soon," He turned around and spoke to the rest of the group, "But let''s sit down here for now and let Zhao Lian heal her injuries." Zhao Lian gave him a respectful nod and sat down on a rock on the side to meditate, meanwhile, the rest of the disciples also took out some clothes and ced them on the group to take a rest after that intense battle. Shen Yuan looked at their condition and said, "Everyone should eat Qi replenishing Pills before exploring further, you guys are in no condition to explore with your low Qi reserves." The disciples nodded in agreement and took out Qi Replenishing Pills to recover their Qi. Shen Yuan stood guard for them as Wan Ling, Ling Mei, and the others started meditating. [Ding!] Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow as he wasn''t expecting a System Notification right now. [A message from Huo Rong.] Shen Yuan smiled lightly, looking at the screen in nostalgia as it reminded him of his old world. ''Open.'' he thought. [Yuan''er, how is the Mystique Realm faring for you? Any dangers?] Shen Yuan smiled hearing the concern in her voice, he replied in a gentle tone, ''No dangers so far, though Wan Ling and the others were in danger had I not arrived in time.'' [It is good that you arrived on time and you are safe and sound right now. If you encounter any trouble, do not hesitate to run away before things go south.] ''You worry too much big sister, I can take care of myself now.'' Shen Yuan chuckled softly. [I, as your wife and your sister, have the responsibility to look after you, I can''t not worry about you after all.] Shen Yuan smiled gently as he could hear the teasing in her words, ''Yes, yes, I will take care of myself, anyways, what have you been busy with for thest few weeks? I haven''t seen you once in that time.'' [Sigh, due to our absence for so long, a lot of work has been gathered for me to check, I''m doing the work of both Master and Bing Rong! Hmph! They get off lightly, peacefully cultivating in seclusion and here I am, doing all their work.] ''Then would you have Bing Rong be the one to have awakened instead of you back then?'' Shen Yuan asked back in a teasing tone, knowing full well what her answer would be. [Hell no! Why would I not want to have been awakened and get together with my cute little brother? With this, I''m one step ahead of Bing Rong, hehe.] Shen Yuan shook his head, he saw that the sect''s disciples were about to awaken so he bid his farewell. ''I will talk with youter, I should explore the Mystique Realm for now.'' He stood up from his position. [Alright, take care.] Huo Rong also cut off the connection after saying that, Shen Yuan surveyed the area once and found no problems, while the disciples started to stand up one by one. Ling Mei came towards him and asked curiously, "Where will we go next?" "Why are you asking me? Aren''t you supposed to be the Inner Sect disciple here? I''m merely an Outer Sect disciple in front of you." Shen Yuan teased her in a yful tone. "Hmph!! Don''t tease me now. Whoever is the strongest should lead the group because they can make better choices in critical moments." Ling Mei turned her head away and answered him. Shen Yuan chuckled softly seeing her act like this, he looked at the rest of them and spoke, "You did well to stand against that beast, after all, it was an ancient beast who had been mutated due to the environment of this forest, making it much more difficult to kill than usual." Wan Ling and the rest of the girl''s faces lit up as they heard what he said, even if they didn''t show it, they wanted someone to acknowledge their efforts. Your next read awaits at m v|l-e''-NovelBin "But where did you find out about this Senior Brother Shen Yuan?" Wan Ling asked as she had also read the books in the library but there was nothing like this inside. "I have a personal library for a time such as this. Anyways, we should move towards the center of the Mystique Realm to see if there is any inheritance here or not." Shen Yuan said as he nced around the dark forest. The rest of the girls nodded their heads as they saw Shen Yuan as their leader since he killed the beast in one shot as his special status in the sect. Shen Yuan took notice of theck of protective items on the bodies of the sect disciples as he took out 8 teleportation talismans and handed them to Wan Ling and the others. "Use them when you are in a desperate situation," he then handed a Group teleportation talisman to Wan Ling to use, "Use this one if you are all together. "Hey, where is ours?" Ling Mei asked as Shen Yuan had given the talisman to everyone except her and another disciple. "You guys are Inner Sect disciples, don''t tell me you don''t even have enough money to buy these little things?" Shen Yuan once again teased her, taking great pleasure in ying with her. "Ugh, those things aren''t cheap, even in the outer court they are expensive. I don''t have them as I recently bought a weapon for myself and I''m short on Spirit Stones recently." Ling Mei''s face turned a little red as she admitted how poor she was right now. Some of the girls took pity on her and they were about to give her their own talismans, but Shen Yuan stopped them and took out two more talismans and handed them to the two inner sect disciples Chapter 168: First Inheritance Site "Here, you can have these. Sigh, how poor are the disciples of the Inner sect?" He shook his head and gave two talismans to them. "Hehe, I knew you won''t leave us to die." Ling Mei smiled slyly and took the talisman. "Thank you, Shen Yuan." Chen Yue also thanked him with a red face, as she also couldn''t afford to buy one that could be useful for cultivators at her level. Shen Yuan shook his head and looked deeper into the forest, "Let''s head inside to see what we can find." Wan Ling quickly asked, "Senior Brother, should we look out for something inside the Mystique Realm in particr or just wander around to test our luck?" "Who knows what we will find inside here, we can only test our luck as even my senses have been restricted here, I can''t utilize them to their maximum capacity." "That''s natural, anything stronger than the Inner Sea realm will be suppressed in here, it''s already an achievement if the Mystique Realm puts restrictions on you. Since you need higher strength than your cultivation base." Ling Mei spoke as she looked at him with an admiring expression. "I know that, but it''s really annoying to deal with it myself." He shook his head and started walking. The rest of the disciples followed after him, looking around themselves in caution for any possible ambush. Ling Mei followed just behind Shen Yuan, looking for any possible opportunity to earn a fortune inside the Mystique Realm. Wan Ling curiously asked Shen Yuan, "Senior Brother, is there any chance for herbs or other heavenly treasures to be born here? Since the ce looks dead and bleak all around." Shen Yuan nced around the surroundings, "You won''t find normal herbs here, but there can be a special type of herb that requires such an ancient and decayed ce to grow. But they are not that useful for most of the cultivators, so no point looking for them." He turned and looked at Wan Ling lightly before continuing with a smile, "There can be quite a few good treasures here though, some cursed while some heavenly. All depends on one''s fortune and what they will get." Just as he finished speaking, Zhao Lian tripped on something, "Ahh-," and fell forward, Shen Yuan came in front of her and caught her before she could fall. "Are you alright?" Zhao Lian felt her heartbeat quickening as she hurriedly nodded her head and stood up straight, Shen Yuan nced below to see what she tripped on and realized that it was something buried in the ground. "Oh ho, looks like we found our first lucky one to get a treasure," He smield lightly and raised his head to look at Zhao Lian, "Why don''t you take it and see what it is?" Zhao Lian eyes shed as she thought what kind of treasure it might be, she nodded her head without hesitation as she knew what kind of wealth Shen Yuan had. She crouched down and push away the dirt from the top. Finally realizing ti was a metal box. She pulled it out and looked at it for a second before staring at Shen Yuan. "Haha, what are you looking at me for? Just open it, you might get something good." Shen Yuan chuckled softly seeing her look so helpless. Zhao Lian nodded her head and took a deep breath before opening the box, all the disciples held their breaths as they waited to see what was inside of the box. Zhao Ling closed her eyes as soon as the box fully opened due to the bright rays of light it released. But it calmed down in an instant as all of them looked inside the box to see a small ne ced inside, it was resting atop a soft pillow-like thing. "Hmm¡­looks like some kind of protective amulet, you should wear it, it can be used in a serious situation to save your life against someone much stronger than you." Shen Yuan curiously studied it and saw the formation engraved on the gem, he realized what type of formation it was since he had studied about them a bit in his free time during seclusion. Zhao Lian nodded her head excitedly and put on it, it suited her very much as even the other disciples looked at her in envy, but they couldn''t do anything as what Shen yuan had previously said was true. It was her fortune that she got that treasure, other people will also have their own fortune. "What are we waiting for? Let''s go and explore this Mystique Realm!" Wan Ling smiled excitedly and ran a little ahead of the group. Making others giggle softly seeing her innocence, Shen Yuan also shook his head and walked forward while surveying the surroundings. ¡­ Soon they reached an ancient temple after finding a few small treasures, "What is this?" Chen Yue asked curiously, seeing the old temple inside of this forest would make everyone feel something fishy was going on. Shen Yuan looked at the temple and read the runes carved on the walls carefully before replying, "A test, to find a worthy sessor of their fortune. But not everyone can pass as the requirements are strict yet simple." "Can you pass, Senior Brother?" Chen Yue asked back curiously. Discover hidden tales at m,v l''e-NovelBin Shen Yuan chuckled softly as he replied, "I indeed can pass it quite easily, but I don''t want to form a needless karmic bond with this ce, you guys can go ahead and try your luck here since the inheritance is basically useless for me." The rest of the disciples nodded their heads as their expressions turned serious, all of them entered the old temple from different entrances, leaving only Wan Ling and Ling Mei outside with Shen Yuan. "Hmm? Do you guys not want the inheritance inside the old temple?" Shen Yuan asked curiously as he found a rock to sit down on. Wan Ling tilted her head and spoke, "I stayed behind because I wanted to ask you about your opinion, should I head inside as well to look for opportunities? Or will it be useless for me to go inside?" "The inheritance inside is of a Spear User, no point for the two of you to go inside, but it will be a good opportunity to observe what other trials you will have to go through, you can take your time in this one and can give it your all in your next trial." Shen Yuan thoughtfully said. Wan Ling and Ling Mei nodded their heads as Ling Mei smiled and said, "This was also my question, but now that I have got an answer, I can confidently go inside to test my luck to see whether I can get something or not." Shen Yuan nodded his head, "You both can go ahead then, I will stand guard outside so no one can disturb you guys." Both of them nodded their heads onest time and headed inside the old temple. Shen Yuan looked at their receding back, then looked at the sky as he released a sigh, "Let''s see which of them will be the lucky one to inherit this ce''s spear. Chapter 169: Yue Lans True Form As he waited for Wan Ling and the others toplete the trial, he decided to have a little chat with Yue Lan. "Hey, Lan''er. What do you think about this Mystique Realm?" He asked as he observed the bleak sky of this realm. [Hoh? Since when do you start to address me so affectionately?] Yue Lan asked curiously. "Come on now, we have known each other for years, and you are one of the closest people to me. I''m pretty sure we can address each other more closely after spending all that time together. You basically saw me growing up." Shen Yuany down on the rock and closed his eyes to feel the winds, which felt worse than the finds of the desert due to the aura of the ce. [Hmm¡­makes sense. Anyways, you have yet to see my true form, right?] Yue Lan''s voice turned yful as she asked. "Hmm? Now that you mention it, you said once that your real form is not a cat, you only took that for some reason. Now you made me curious, how do you like exactly?" Shen Yuan tried to imagine how she would look since her voice was even more seductive than his own mother. [Ara~ already imagining how I would look? Are you that eager to add me to your harem? Though I can tell you now that my figure is one of the best in all of creation, it has reached the peak of what the word beautiful can describe. But your mortal eyes can only see a small percentage of my true beauty since your senses can''t perceive the higher-level auras yet.] She spoke in a prideful tone, almost bordering on arrogance. "Didn''t know you were a narcissist as well. But now you really made me curious about how you look. Mom is the most beautiful woman I have met, I really want to see what you would look like." He sat up straight and spoke to her with bright eyes. [Hmm¡­well you can''t do much even if you see me, are you sure about that?] She teasingly asked. Stay connected through m-v l|e''-NovelBin Shen Yuan nodded, "Of course, I''m sure about that." [As you wish then.] Yue Lan spoke and then everything turned silent, even the Mystique Realm got deathly silent as if awaiting something dreadful. A light came out of Shen Yuan''s forehead and began taking the shape of a woman, her height being roughly around 175 cm. But due to the white light, he could not make out any details From the center of his forehead, a soft glow began to emerge, the light intensifying as it stretched outwards and started to take shape. The light expanded slowly, morphing into a silhouette of a woman. The figure was tall, imposing, yet graceful and ethereal, but the sheer presence made Shen Yuan''s heart heavy. Her presence alone was overwhelming as if the world around her was bending to her will, acknowledging her as its rightful owner. Shen Yuan held his breath as the light slowly receded, finally revealing her form. Her beauty surpassed Shen Yuan''s wildest expectations. Her long pink hair flowed past her ass, silky and softly glowing, framing her face with pink eyes that sparkled with yfulness. Her milky white skin was smooth and wless, practically begging to be touched, contrasting with the intense allure of her voluptuous figure¡ªher breasts, evenrger than Shen Yuxin''s, pressed against the barely-there fabric of her gown, nipples visibly pressing against the sheer material. Her outfit was practically transparent, a seductive gown that clung to every curve, entuating her ample chest and slim waist, and the high slits on both sides of her dress exposed her creamy thighs and hips, enough to stir any man''s deepest desires. Shen Yuan swallowed hard, his heart racing as he stared at her without blinking, her beauty seemed enough to tempt even the gods. Even the Mystique Realm seemed to light up with her presence in it. Yue Lan smirked, clearly enjoying the speechless look on Shen Yuan''s face, [Ara~ speechless already? This is not even a percent of my beauty since your mortal will can''tprehend it. What will your reaction be when you see me at my full potential.] Shen Yuan came out of his nk state as he looked around to see if someone saw them, but he soon heard the same alluring voice of Yue Lan. [No need to check, only you can see me in my current form, I don''t want the other mortals of this world to look at my real body, they don''t deserve it. Only you and your harem members who you have added to the system can see me.] She spoke in a prideful tone which only made Shen Yuan twitch his eyes as he looked at her outfit and asked, "Is that why you wore this outfit? To tease me?" [Hehe, isn''t it fun though?] She giggled softly and floated to the back of Shen Yuan, whispering softly in his ears, [But too bad that you can''t touch me. Hehe~] She ced a hand on his shoulder which just passed through him, Shen Yuan looked at her, his heart still racing from seeing her appearance as he asked, "What will you even do if I can touch you?" [Oh? Are you not interested in knowing how my body feels?] She put on an exaggerated expression as she cupped her beast and yed with them, [These alone are enough to make you go wild, I know how much you like big breasts when you were sucking on Yuxin''s breast while fucking her.] Shen Yuan didn''t mind her speaking like this as he also enjoys filthy chat with a beautiful girl, but something she said caught his attention, "So, you were watching us while we were going at it?" Yue Lan''s pink aura intensifiesas she blushed slightly, [What else was I supposed to do while you were fucking your mom and she was moaning so loudly? There is no soundproofing inside your Sea of Consciousness.] She folded her hand beneath her chest and looked away, "Hmm¡­well I will ignore that since you are a woman¡ª" [Just say a potential harem member. Hmph! I know what goes in that dirty mind of yours.] "...well let''s just go with that then," Shen Yuan''s expression turned normal as he had gotten used to her appearance by now, he continued with a smirk, "So, as my future wife, where do you usually stay inside my Sea of Consciousness?" [You motherfucker¡ª] "Yes, I know I''m a motherfucker, I''m quite proud of that, so anyways answer my question." He smirked as he saw the frustrated look on Yue Lan''s face. [...I created a room-like structure inside your True Soul when I fused with you all those years ago, I usually stay there.] "Hmm¡­can I visit that ce?" Shen Yuan asked as a n began to form in his mind. [This motherfucker¡ªyou are already nning to visit my ce as soon as you saw me?] Yue Lan''s pink eyes seemed to light up in frustration as she talked more with Shen Yuan in her true form. "I need to at least know what you have created inside of me, correct?" Shen Yuan reasoned with her with a calm smile. Chapter 170: Old Sword [Hmph! You are too weak to visit that ce, you haven''t even formed your Soul yet.] Yue Lan replied with a grin that seemed like the most beautiful smile to Shen Yuan. "So, I need to reach the Nascent Soul stage at least to visit you, huh?" [Hmph!] She turned her face away and transformed into particles of light before going back inside Shen Yuan''s forehead. "Hmm? Why leave so soon?" He shook his head as he saw Yue Lan disappearing from his view. [Because I can''t stay in my true form outside for long, otherwise it will have serious consequences.] Her voice turned serious as she answered him, but it didn''t take long for it to turn back to her usualzy voice. [So, what do you think? Am I not the most beautiful woman in the world?] She asked with a light chuckle. Shen Yuany down on the rock again as he saw the Mystique Realm turning back to normal. He put his hand on the back of his head and gazed at the sky. "What do you think I should do? Should I enjoy my life slowly or cultivate until I reach the peak and then enjoy my life with the people I love?" he asked softly, gazing into the night sky, as even inside the Mystique Realm the day and night cycle continued, but it was different than the time outside, even the sun was different. Yue Lan''s voice turned softer as she contemted for a bit and replied, [It really depends on what you want. You can take your time and cultivate slowly or focus only on cultivation and then enjoy. Whichever path you choose, it will lead you toward the peak, but the difference will be the experiences that you will have. And it is not necessarily the case that you will cultivate at a slower pace if you enjoy your life.] She paused, finding the right words. [You need to bnce out how much you work and how much you give yourself rest, as you remember from your experience what can happen if you cultivate too much.] Shen Yuan didn''t reply but instead continued gazing into the sky. ''I wonder when Mom and Sister Bing will be out. I really miss them now,'' he thought to himself, to which Yue Lan surprisingly replied, [Bing Rong is nearly finished with her seclusion. She will need a few more days before she cane out.] Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up as he heard the news. "Good!" he sat up straight in excitement. "Haha, I can''t wait to meet up with my icy sister." [You should finish the Mystique Realm before that.] Shen Yuan nodded and calmed down. He decided to practice his elemental Intents, which he wasn''t able to master due to ack of exposure to them. "Hmm¡­learning an Elemental Intent is really hard when you have no reference to look at," he muttered as he tried to create fire from his Qi, but his attempt remained unsessful. [You can look out for an Elemental Cultivation Technique here in this Mystique Realm, maybe you can find something nice.] "That''s what I''ll do. Let''s wait for the others toe out for now." Hey down on the stone again and closed his eyes for a rest. ¡­ Some time passed as Shen Yuan finally opened his eyes to see Wan Ling and the others leaving, while Chen Yue was holding a different spear, something which was not present on her previously. Shen Yuan looked at it curiously, seeing the runes imprinted on it. He understood it was the inheritance treasure of this old temple. Chen Yue stepped forward and presented the spear to Shen Yuan. "Senior Brother, do you want to take a closer look at the spear?" Shen Yuan smiled and shook his head. "It''s a good treasure, it will apany you far on the journey, and you can also upgrade it when you find the right materials." He looked inside his storage ring before taking out a blood-red sword. He started unsheathing it, and the sword began releasing a monstrous killing intent. All the disciples felt their knees weaken under the pressure of that sword, Chen Yue sweating as the spear protected her. Shen Yuan shook his head and sheathed the sword again. "Sigh, is it mad that I haven''t used it in a while?" Wan Ling and the others took deep breaths to calm down as Ling Mei asked, "Senior Brother, how high is the rank of that sword? Its pressure alone nearly killed me." Shen Yuan ced the sword on his shoulder and smirked. "You wouldn''t believe me when I say this, but this sword was only a basic sword, not even ranked, as I used to practice with it." "Then how the hell is it so strong?" Chen Yue asked, her voice filled with shock. "That''s due to the number of lives this sword has taken. I used it in one of the Ancestral Pagoda''s trials. I think it was the fifth trial where I had to face off against an endless horde of spirit beasts. I killed millions of them with this sword in hand." He spoke as he brought the sword to his front. "And that''s probably when this sword gained the preliminary Sword Spirit." The sword hummed in his hand as if agreeing with hisment. Shen Yuan smiled seeing its reaction, yet the faces of the disciples changed drastically as one of them shouted, "That legendary Sword Spirit???" "I heard only legendary swords that had some of the greatest swordsmen of their time alive can gestate a Sword Spirit." ¡­ Shen Yuan chuckled, seeing Ling Mei and the others discussing his sword so enthusiastically, yet he didn''t say anything further to them. Wan Ling asked curiously, "What is the name of this sword, Senior Brother?" Explore more adventures at m,v l''e-NovelBin A silence descended on the disciples as they paused. This question had slipped their minds as soon as they heard that the sword had a Sword Spirit inside. Shen Yuan calmly replied, "The name of the sword is¡ªCrimson Devourer. A de forged for practice but instead turned into a tool of ughter." The disciples shivered slightly as they felt a chill on their backs. The name was enough to strike fear into anyone who knew how many beings it had killed. "What a befitting name." "Crimson Devourer, it has a nice ring to it." "I really like this name." ¡­ "Anyways, we need to move, guys. We can continue this discussion while looking for other ces. Chen Yue already got one inheritance, but that doesn''t mean all of you will also get it. Some of you might even return empty-handed." Shen Yuan stood up from the stone and dusted off his clothes. He ced the sword on his waist. "Might as well let you taste blood this once, or you might die of thirst inside the storage space." The rest of the disciples looked at each other before following after Shen Yuan. They also threw asional nces at Chen Yue, who held her spear tightly, as if afraid someone would steal it. Shen Yuan smiled seeing her like this, and the others also giggled softly. They soon encountered another beast, which seemed pretty simr to the previous one. Chapter 171: Whip Intent Before any of them could even react, Shen Yuan''s sword buzzed slightly as he unsheathed it and sent a Qi wave toward the beast. It cleanly sliced it in half before he sheathed the de again. Everything happened so fast that none of them were able to even feel the murderous aura this time. "What a good sword," Ling Mei muttered as she saw the cleanly sliced body of the beast lying on the ground. The others nodded their heads in agreement, though they also wondered if they could be as strong as Shen Yuan one day. He smiled and spoke, "No need to dwell on this matter. You all are the proud disciples of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect. Of course, you will get stronger than the current me." The disciples'' eyes lit up as they felt eager to find a new inheritance ground to try their luck. Shen Yuan chuckled seeing their expressions and continued walking, looking for a few interesting things. He also collected a few herbs that he found inside the dense forest. Most of them were hidden clearly by the naturally formed arrays, but none escaped his vision as he collected quite a few herbs. Wan Ling looked at the herbs in wonder. "Will you use them yourself, Senior Brother?" "I will let my mom have a look at them to see what they are," he shook his head and answered her question. She tilted her head. "Your mom? Is she an alchemist, Senior Brother? What is her name?" Shen Yuan chuckled softly. "You will know in due time. She is not here right now, so there is no point in talking about her." The rest of the disciples curiously listened in on their conversation, hoping to find out something about Shen Yuan''s background since he was coated in mystery. Shen Yuan smiled seeing their expressions, but he didn''t address it and continued moving forward. Soon, they reached another site. There was nothing but a boulder with lines of ancient text written on it. Chen Yue looked at it intently before asking, "What is this, Senior Brother Shen Yuan? I feel like it is giving off¡­" "Whip vibes," Shen Yuan continued where she paused, knowing what she meant as he also felt that immense auraing off from the boulder. "Yes! That! I feel like it''s releasing whip intent. Is this some treasure or what?" Chen Yue eximed, her expression turning excited upon the mention of a treasure. Shen Yuan shook his head and sat down in front of the stone. "It''s a whip technique, quite a powerful one at that. You guys should try to learn it. Even if you can''t use it, you can sell it outside for a fortune or gift it to the sect for bonus points." The rest of the disciples followed after him and sat down, forming a circle around the boulder. Wan Ling and Ling Mei sat on each side of Shen Yuan as if monopolizing him. The other disciples shook their heads, but they all closed their eyes and started feeling the aura of the boulder. The entire ce descended into silence as everyone meditated on the technique. Shen Yuan himself beganprehending the technique, and as it was not his first time learning a whip technique, he picked it up quite quickly. He started visualizing the technique inside his mind, seeing its variation and how to utilize it most effectively inbat. The rest of the disciples were only scratching the surface of the technique when Shen Yuan had mastered more than half of it. Shen Yuan soon felt some movement in the surroundings. He opened his eyes to see the area around him, then stood up and walked toward the right side behind the boulder. He slowly unsheathed his sword and stepped behind the dense bushes. He found another beast of the Mystique Realm lying in wait to ambush him. Shen Yuan utilized one of his silent techniques to quietly kill it. The beast couldn''t even wail as it died in agony. Shen Yuan''s cold eyes turned normal as he came back and sat down in his position. The rest of the disciples didn''t even know what had happened as they continued to cultivate in peace. Only Shen Yuan knew that if he had drifted too deep into meditation, everyone there might have died due to the beast. He closed his eyes toprehend the technique again. ¡­ Shen Yuan opened his eyes again after a while, he looked around him to see that the disciples were still meditating. He didn''t disturb them, instead, he slowly stood up and went to sit some distance away from them. "This technique is quite good butpletely useless for me since I don''t use whip much, it might prove more useful to one of them instead." He muttered while looking at the disciples lost in training. He looked at his right, "Hmm? Looks like it''s a good time for target practice." He took out a unique bow, its design seemed more elegant as the string seemed to be made from a material that absorbs the sounds, he then took out an arrow made with a simr material. "This bow and arrow won''t make any noise and will get the work done, perfectly." He smiled as he put the arrow on the bow and pulled the string, aiming at where he heard the noise from, he released the arrow. But before the arrow could hit his target, Shen Yuan shot out another arrow towards the bush he heard the voice from. As the arrows hit, he heard the sound of someone dropping on the group, he knew his prey had been caught, so he didn''t move from his ce to check what it was, instead, he continued guarding his fellow disciples. [You have been taking quite the good care of your fellow disciples, Yuan''er.] Yue Lan''s teasing voice sounded in his head. "Why did you be so chatty today? And as for me protecting them? It''s because they will be the future pir of my sect." Shen Yuan answered her. [I see, I see. So you have already decided to make Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect your new home.] "Not yet, I still need to see how the Inner Sect is before deciding on it fully, so far, the Outer Sect disciples have not let me down, I hope the Inner Sect members will be able to do the same." He yed with an arrow while talking with her. [Let''s see what will happen in the future.] She got silent after saying that, Shen Yuan also became silent and started looking around the forest again for any possible dangers. ¡­ Soon, the disciples started opening their eyes some had bright expressions while others looked frustrated with themselves. "How were your gains?" Shen Yuan came forward and asked everyone. Ling Mei looked at him in frustration, "How fast did you evenprehend it? I couldn''t evenprehend it even when nearly everyone woke up." Shen Yuan chuckled softly, "Iprehended it a while ago when I was killing the random beast that came near this ce." Ling Mei and the other disciples'' eyes widened as they looked around in shock and fear. Wondering what might have happened if Shen Yuan was not standing guard around them. Stay connected via m-v l|e''-NovelBin Chapter 172: Inferno Smithing Technique Wan Ling didn''t think much about it. Instead, she looked at Shen Yuan with shining eyes, "Youprehended it so fast, Senior Brother! You are really a genius." Shen Yuan smiled lightly and patted her head, "Now, let''s not waste time and go look for another inheritance site. We have already wasted enough time here." He started walking again while observing the dense forest for any uncharted areas. Ling Mei and the others followed behind without asking who else alsoprehended it, as it was their secret. Shen Yuan smiled to himself, seeing their tacit cooperation, ''A good sect indeed nurtures good disciples.'' ¡­ They came across various ruins, and Shen Yuan had all of them enter to learn and test their luck. Some got inheritances, some got valuable training experience. Overall, none of them left empty-handed from the ruins. After a while, Shen Yuan found a stone path, which led to arge coliseum-like building. The other disciples stood behind him, watching in awe as the coliseum released an ancient aura that seemed timeless yet showed signs of decay. They couldn''t help but appraise the building again and again, trying to find something special about it other than its unique aura, but they couldn''te up with anything. Shen Yuan smiled and said, "The real thing is inside the coliseum, no point in standing outside staring at the building." He saw a few carvings and murals on the stone path whileing inside, but they were so finely crafted that no ordinary cultivator could notice them, especially disciples as weak as their group. Shen Yuan didn''t point them out as there was no meaning in it. "Do you know what is in there, Senior Brother Shen Yuan?" Zhao Lian asked lightly as she nced all around, hoping to find some clues. "If I''m correct," Shen Yuan began, "inside is the thing I have been looking for ever since I entered the Mystique Realm. Let''s head inside to confirm my guess." The rest of the group nodded their heads and started walking on the straight stone path leading towards the huge coliseum. Both sides of the path were decorated withmps that seemed to have worn out after all these years. Shen Yuan felt his heart pump faster at the thought of getting his hands on the treasure he had been looking for. Wan Ling, noticing his excitement, asked lightly, "Senior Brother, if you don''t mind me asking, what are you exactly looking for?" Shen Yuan smiled, "Hehe, you will find out about it once we enter inside." Wan Ling rolled her eyes at him but didn''t continue to question his choice. Instead, she increased her pace to reach the inside faster. Watching her, the rest of the disciples also picked up their pace and entered the huge gate of the coliseum. Shen Yuan shook his head and followed them inside. What came into his view was a magnificent forge, where fire used to burn brightly as treasures of the highest grades were crafted. He saw a huge forge inside, and beside ity hammers, anvils, and other tools. His eyes were automatically attracted to the scripture imprinted on top of the forge as he came forward to read it. But he soon paused his steps as he saw that the disciples who first went inside came out before leaving him behind and standing at the gate. Shen Yuan looked at them with slight confusion but didn''t ask anything right away, waiting for them to exin themselves first. Ling Mei took a step forward, standing in front of the group. She smiled lightly and spoke, "You can take this inheritance, Senior Brother. We have already gotten too many good things thanks to you on this trip." Chen Yue took a step forward as well and spoke softly, "Indeed, since you were already looking for this stuff, you can take the entire inheritance. None of us are suited to be cksmiths anyway." The rest of the disciples nodded their heads in agreement while chuckling softly. Shen Yuan smiled hearing their words, and he nodded his head, "Then I won''t be polite." He started cing all the tools inside the coliseum into his spatial ring. He took the Old Anvil, cksmithing Tools, Damaged Weapons, Blueprints or Scrolls, Quenching Tank, etc. In the end, he came before the forge, where he found three words engraved on it. The words flickered with mes as Shen Yuan couldn''t decipher in whatnguage they were written. He moved his hand forward to touch it, but almost as if sensing him, the words came to life as their mes intensified. The mes engulfed his entire hand. The disciples'' eyes widened in horror as they saw the me engulfing Shen Yuan, but before they could react, the me gathered together and transformed into a rune forming the three words ''Inferno Smithing Technique'' before vanishing inside Shen Yuan''s forehead. The disciples hurriedly ran toward Shen Yuan, "Senior Brother! Are you alright?" Wan Ling grabbed his hand to see if he was hurt or not as she examined him closely. Ling Mei and Chen Yue also closely looked at him. Meanwhile, Shen Yuan closed his eyes to see where the ming rune went. Continue your adventure with m|v-l''e -NovelBin After searching, he found it inside his Sea of Consciousness, but just as he was about to touch it with his senses, his bloodline stirred and put enormous pressure on the rune, forcing it to move away from the Sea of Consciousness all the way to his third dantian. Shen Yuan could only see this scene in silence as he himself didn''t know when or how his bloodline would react. ''Tf, why would you do that? You don''t even stay in my Sea of Consciousness.'' He muttered inside his heart, but the bloodline didn''t react again. He then looked inside of his third dantian, which now housed the ''Inferno Smithing Technique.'' But he didn''t try toprehend it right away, as he knew the girls were anxiously waiting for him. He opened his eyes to see Wan Ling in front of him, her eyes glistening with tears as she was on the verge of crying. He saw that the rest of the disciples were also in a simr condition. After staying together for quite a few days and having been saved by him many times, they were seeing Shen Yuan as their spiritual pir. Now that they thought he was injured, they felt sad for him. He moved forward and hugged Wan Ling, patting her back as he softly whispered in her ear, "Don''t worry, I''m alright. No need to be sad now, okay?" Wan Ling sniffled softly as she ced her head on his chest and hugged him tightly, as if afraid to lose him again. Shen Yuan shook his head and continued patting her. He nced around to see that the others had calmed down by now. Ling Mei took a deep breath and asked, "What was that? How did your hand catch on fire all of a sudden? And it even seemed as if it was going to swallow you." Shen Yuan looked at her and smiled, "I got what I was looking for, and this inheritance site is one of the core ces of this Mystique Realm. I doubt we can find anything better than this." Chapter 173: Ironwood Mountain Clan Shen Yuan looked at her and smiled, "I got what I was looking for, and this inheritance site is one of the core ces of this Mystique Realm. I doubt we can find anything better than this." The rest of the disciples started to calm down as they nced back at the forge from time to time. "When I saw the mes, I thought I might die just by standing near them. I don''t know how you managed to survive it. And where did that me vanish, anyway?" Chen Yue exhaled a long breath as she ced a hand on her ample chest. "I absorbed it," Shen Yuan replied with a light chuckle. The disciples had expected this, but the confirmation of it still hit them like a rock. One of the younger disciples gathered her courage and asked, "Should we leave now and explore other ces?" Shen Yuan looked at her, making her scared, thinking she might have done something wrong. But he replied while smiling gently, "It''s indeed time to leave. Let''s go to the heart of this realm to see what it has." All of them left the giant coliseum while ncing back from time to time; they couldn''t forget the scene of Shen Yuan being engulfed in the mes. "No need to dwell on that; the life of a cultivator is fleeting, we can die at the de''s edge at any time. Stand tall and walk the path with pride; not everyone has the courage to walk on this path without sumbing to the darkness," Shen Yuan softly said while walking in front of everyone. The disciples'' eyes lit up as they heard what he said; they fell into contemtion as they mulled over the meaning of his words. Seeing this, Shen Yuan smiled and shook his head. He knew they weren''t toughened out by the harsh reality of this world, and he needed to show them that, but they didn''t need to learn everything at once. ¡­ Soon, the group came in front of a particr area inside the dense forest. There seemed to be something restricting the flow of Qi, as the air seemed denser inside. Shen Yuan squinted his eyes to closely observe what it was as he revolved the Qi in his eyes. The rest of the disciples didn''t find anything weird about the situation as they only stopped because Shen Yuan was standing in front of them. "Is there something wrong, Senior Brother?" Chen Yue asked softly, seeing Shen Yuan''s furrowed brows. Shen Yuan took his eyes away from the strange part of the forest and nced at Chen Yue. He thought for a second before taking out a gourd of pills and throwing it to her. "Take two and distribute two to each one of you. Eat one right now, and we will advance inside the forest after that," Shen Yuan said as he looked deeply into the dense air of the forest ahead. The rest of the girls nodded their heads in confusion since they couldn''t understand his thoughts, yet they had enough trust in him that they ate the pills without further questioning. Shen Yuan also took one pill and ate it before walking inside the forest. The rest of the disciples held their breaths and looked around cautiously because they felt there would be danger since Shen Yuan was looking ahead so seriously. Sweat formed on the girls'' foreheads as the tension seemed to reach its peak, just then a sudden sound echoed in the forest. "Boo!" Shen Yuan shouted all of a sudden, scaring the hell out of the disciples as they stumbled back. Stay connected via m-v l|e''-NovelBin Some even dropped to the ground as they hurriedly looked at Shen Yuan, only to see himughing wildly. "Hahahahahaha," heughed as he saw their faces, "Why are you guys so tense? Almost as if you are marching towards your deaths. No need to be so nervous when you have me." He wiped the tear from the corner of his eye yet still chuckled softly, seeing their embarrassed faces. "Ugghhh, it''s your fault for making us this tense," Ling Mei spoke as her face burned in embarrassment since she was among those who dropped to the ground. "How did I even make you guys tense?" Shen Yuan asked with a light chuckle, though he already knew. "Hmph! You know it already." Ling Mei snorted and looked the other way. "Okay, okay, no need to be so nervous. I did that bec-" Just as he was about to finish talking, they heard a sudden voice from their right. Shen Yuan sharply turned his head in that direction to see what it was. Yet the dense bushes blocked his vision as he couldn''t see anything beyond a certain point. The disciples also stood up and gathered together as they listened intently to find the source of the sound. Wan Ling whispered, "The sound seems to being from that direction." She pointed to her right after saying that. The rest of the disciples looked in that direction as they could also hear some faint sounds. Shen Yuan unsheathed his sword and moved forward. He pushed away the bushes from his front as he slowly leaned forward. His eyes widened at the sight before him, but he soon smiled. The rest of the disciples also came to his front after clearing some bushes. Their eyes widened as well as they saw the sight in front of them, but they also couldn''t help but softlyugh as they saw the situation before them. The members of the Ironwood Mountain ny in front of them, spasming from time to time. Wan Ling stoppedughing as she looked at Shen Yuan and asked, "What happened to them, Senior Brother? Why do they seem to be dying?" Shen Yuan said with a shake of his head, "They didn''t think much before entering a forest full of poisonous miasma. Of course, they would end up half-dead inside the forest." Chen Yue''s eyes lit up as she pped her hands, "No wonder! So that''s why you had us eat those pills, Senior Brother! You already realized that the forest is filled with poison." Wan Ling''s eyes shined brightly as she looked at Shen Yuan in admiration, "Senior Brother is really a genius. He found out about the poison before any of us could. We would have died for nothing here without Senior Brother." Ling Mei looked at the disciples for a while and spoke with furrowed brows, "But what shall we do about them? We can''t leave them dying here; after all, our sects and ns made an agreement outside for us." Almost as if they heard what Ling Mei said, they spasmed more violently to gather pity from the disciples. One of them, who was barely hanging by a thread, said, "You¡­can''t¡­let¡­us¡­die¡­sect¡­agreement." Shen Yuan looked at the disciple as his eyes twinkled mischievously, "Who says that we won''t save them? We are people of the righteous path! Of course, we will save those in need." Wan Ling and the others felt like leaving the n members to die, as Ling Mei softly whispered in his ear, "I say we leave them to die, Senior Brother. No need to save these ugly pigs." Chapter 174: Weird Qi Shen Yuan smirked and whispered as his soft breath blew on Ling Mei''s neck, making her face burn red, "You don''t need to think much about it. Let me handle the situation ahead." With that said, he took a step forward and came in front of a man who seemed to be the leader of the group. His name was Shan Bo. He took out a gourd of healing and detoxification pills and extended his hand towards him, trying to feed the pill to him. But at thest second, his hand paused in mid-air as he looked at the pills and sighed, "Sigh, this is thest gourd of pills we have. If we gave it to you, we would end up dying in this fog." Wan Ling and the others'' eyes shined brightly as they somewhat guessed what he nned to do with them. They clenched their fists in excitement as they waited for Shen Yuan to continue. He also didn''t disappoint them as he said, "What else can the rest of my poor junior sisters do for these pills? They might die here without them if I saved you." Shan Bo felt like coughing blood as he sensed Shen Yuan''s evil intent. But he couldn''t do anything in his current state as he asked throughbored breath, "What¡­ you¡­ want?" Shen Yuan smirked, "Ah, what a smart man. Very well, since you are so straightforward, then I also won''t beat around the bush. All I ask for is your storage ring in exchange for your life." Shan Bo''s eyes widened in shock and disbelief, but before he could curse, Shen Yuan continued, "Ah, don''t get so agitated, the poison will spread faster." Shan Bo quickly tried to divert his attention in fear for his life, but Shen Yuan''s devious voice soon followed, "Don''t waste so much time; the rest of your fellow brothers and sisters will die soon if you don''t make a choice now." Shan Bo gritted his teeth as he spat, "Take¡­ it¡­ you fuc-" "Haha, no need to curse your savior; you would have died without me." Even though he said that, his hands didn''t pause as he took off Shan Bo''s storage ring and ced it inside his system space. "Here, you can have this pill." Shen Yuan said as he ced a pill in his mouth. Shan Bo calmed down and began absorbing the pill quickly. But Shen Yuan wasn''t done yet as he moved towards another disciple and asked, "What do you think? Your leader already epted the offer, do you want to save yourself as well?" Before his words even finished, Shan Bo opened his eyes and stared at Shen Yuan with absolute anger. Shen Yuan, noticing something wrong, turned around and saw Shan Bo''s face. "Hmm? Why are you looking at me with such anger?" he muttered to himself suspiciously. But all of a sudden, he thought of something and eximed, "Aha, you thought you would get the entire gourd for only your spatial ring?" Shen Yuan couldn''t help butugh as he gave him no further attention and turned back to the dying disciples. "Anyways, since your leader is an idiot, you guys better make a good choice yourselves." He yed with the pill gourd with one hand while seeing all the disciples'' reactions who were lying on the ground. Almost all of them hurriedly made noises to show him that they agreed. "Good! That''s how cultivators should be. Decisive when the situation calls for it." He nodded with a smile and beckoned Wan Ling toe forward. "Here, take this." He gave her the pill gourd and continued with a smile, "Give each of them a pill and take their spatial rings." Wan Ling hesitated as to whether to ept this or not since she didn''t want to kick down a dying horse. Shen Yuan, noticing her hesitation, patted her head and said, "If you hesitate like this in the future, then you won''t be able to go far on the road of cultivation and might even die. So learn to be decisive when you have the chance." Wan Ling raised her head slightly and saw the serious look on Shen Yuan''s face; her eyes became firm as she nodded her head softly. She started going around the Ironwood Mountain n members and collected their storage rings while feeding them the pills. The n members could only gnash their teeth and take the pills since they had no strength in their bodies. Shen Yuan saw all of it with a smile and nodded his head in approval, ''Good, she is improving from her shy, introverted self.'' Meanwhile, the other girls looked at this scene with a hint of ridicule in their gaze as they hated the members of the Ironwood Mountain n due to their past interaction. Soon, Wan Ling finished giving out pills to save everyone and came back in front of Shen Yuan. He smiled again after seeing her. "Well, what do you think? Didn''t it feel good to save their lives?" Shan Bo spat out a mouthful of blood as soon as he heard what Shen Yuan said, which made Shen Yuan turn his head in his direction, "Oh, the pill is already having its effect; see, his body is expelling the poisoned blood." Shan Bo''s body twitched as he still couldn''t move, but the anger he was feeling could drown the entire Deste Continent, ''I will kill this bastard!'' he screamed inside his mind. Wan Ling saw this interaction but only rolled her eyes and moved towards him to hand him the pouch filled with their spatial rings. "Here, I collected all of their spatial rings." Shen Yuan took the bag with a smile and muttered to himself, "Buying all that stuff from the market was worth it, hehe." "Hmm? Did you say something?" Wan Ling asked while tilting her head. "Nothing. Let''s continue forward; they will heal on their own next. Oh, you guys can have these." As thest act of kindness, Shen Yuan gave them various weapons, all sparkling with divine might, which made the Ironwood Mountain n members'' eyes light up. But Shan Bo''s sharp eyes managed to see the truth that all of them were basic weapons which the disciples used in training. His eyes violently shook at this humiliation, but he couldn''t even express his grievances. Shen Yuan didn''t look back as after throwing out the weapons, he left with his group, leaving the n members to survive on their own. ¡­ Shen Yuan and the others soon entered the core area of the poisoned zone. "Senior Brother¡­ this ce gives me creepy vibes." Zhao Lian said as she moved a bit closer to Shen Yuan to feel secure. Shen Yuan surveyed his surroundings and nodded, "I feel like this ce is different as well; the flow of Qi is different, and there is something else mixed in the Qi as well." Ling Mei tried to sense the surrounding Qi but couldn''t notice the difference even after trying for some time, so she looked back at Shen Yuan and asked, "But why can''t I feel the difference in Qi?" Chapter 175: Punching The Gate Shen Yuan stayed silent as he had no answer to that question, but just then Yue Lan chimed in. [It''s due to your Purity Physique and False Chaos Body. They both increase your awareness towards Qi to the extreme while your body will only take in the purest Qi from the surroundings and refine it again with the help of your physiques and cultivation method. That''s why you can feel the subtle difference in the Qi.] Shen Yuan raised his brow in surprise as he didn''t know how much pure Qi his body was taking in, ''I see, so that''s why I can feel the subtle difference, while the disciples don''t refine their Qi to the same level as me, and that''s the reason they can''t sense the difference.'' Even though he understood how he was able to sense the difference, he decided not to tell the rest about it as it might negatively affect them. "Maybe it''s because of how handsome I am." Still, he answered Ling Mei''s question in a teasing way to lighten the mood. Ling Mei rolled her eyes while the rest of the disciples giggled at his narcissism, but the atmosphere felt much lighter as they moved forward. Soon, they came before a broken gate which was embedded into a mountain. Shen Yuan felt chills running down his back as soon as his gazended on the gate. But it went away as soon as it arrived, so Shen Yuan took a deep breath and solemnly looked ahead. [Yuan''er, do you want to head inside?] Yue Lan''s serious voice sounded in his mind, and he knew the situation up ahead would be serious since even Yue Lan''s tone turned solemn. ''Yes, I need to at least see what is inside.'' He paused, and before Yue Lan could warn him of the danger, he continued, ''And don''t worry, I will make some preparations before heading inside. I also feel like this ce is unusual.'' Yue Lan got silent as she didn''t speak again, while Shen Yuan stopped looking ahead and looked at Wan Ling and the others. They still looked here and there cautiously, almost as if someone was going to attack them at any point. Shen Yuan began observing the surroundings for a while and spoke, "Listen here, you all," after making sure everyone was listening to him, he continued, "I will go inside the gate alone. That ce seems odd to me, so I don''t want to take the chance and risk the lives of everyone here." The girls'' eyes widened as Chen Yue hurriedly spoke, "But what if there are dangers ahead? We can be of hel-" But before she could continue, Ling Mei interrupted, "We would only be a burden to him. It''s better for us to stay outside and wait for him." She clenched her fist at the end of her words, feeling the powerlessness much more clearly than when she had to face the beast upon entering the Mystique Realm. Wan Ling gazed at Ling Mei for a second before turning her focus back to Shen Yuan, "Please return safely, Senior Brother Shen Yuan." Shen Yuan smiled and walked forward, patting her head as he softly whispered, "I will be back safely." He moved a few steps away from them before taking out a mini house-like structure, "You all should go inside and wait for me to return. It can keep you safe from the beasts of this forest at least; the formation on this is at the level of an Inner Sea realm cultivator, so the Mystique Realm won''t restrict it." Chen Yue and the rest of the girls lit up in surprise as they looked at the mini room, "Wow, this looks so cozy. Where did you find this treasure, Senior Brother?" Chen Yue asked as she walked around the treasure to inspect it. "I found it while traveling to the sect." He lied, as this was one of the things he got forpleting daily missions set by the system. "Wow, we should also travel out more from the sect to look at the vast world. Maybe we can also encounter fortune like Senior Brother." One of the younger disciples joked in a light tone. Shen Yuan shook his head and looked at Wan Ling for a second before handing her a talisman, "Keep it safe. If anything goes south inside, then I will use this talisman to teleport outside." Even though he had absolute confidence in his ability, he still took precautionary steps to make sure he wouldn''t die inside. "Are you sure you will be fine inside that ce, Brother?" Wan Ling asked with worry as she felt something amiss inside the gates. Shen Yuan replied with confidence, "Do not worry, nothing in the Mystique Realm can do anything to me. I am the strongest here." Wan Ling heaved a sigh upon hearing his absolute confidence in himself. Shen Yuan didn''t stop to think further as he headed towards the gate, ''Now, how should I go about opening them?'' He thought as he looked for any keyholes or something simr, yet there was none, ''Ah well, fuck it.'' He thought as he punched the gate. BOOM! A boom echoed in the surroundings as the punch blew up winds all over. The disciples hurriedly looked in his direction to see him preparing for a punch again, their eyes widened as they knew if he used more force, then they would blow away due to the strong winds. They hurriedly ran inside the treasure given by Shen Yuan, and just then¡ª BOOM! Another punchnded as the gate cracked from the middle. "Aha, it was supposed to open like this, but due to the long passage of time, the gate joined together." He smiled as he grabbed the gate and pushed it; slowly, the gate began opening as an influx of weird Qi gushed out, but the disciples didn''t notice it as they were already inside the treasure, and the weird Qi couldn''t prate inside. Shen Yuan''s eyes scanned the Qi as it seemed to be trying to fight his own Qi, ''What a weird Qi¡­'' he tried to capture some of it, but it scattered into the environment. ''Hmm¡­ there will be more from where this came from.'' he thought as he entered inside the huge doors. The disciples watched with bated breath as he vanished from their vision. ¡­ Inside, he soon stopped after walking for a while, "Hmm¡­ I should do that." He spoke aloud and took out a few items from his storage space. A protective talisman, a defense armor, a formation te. [Oh? Weren''t you so confident earlier that you are the strongest in this Mystique Realm and whatnot. How did you change your colors so soon?] Shen Yuan shook his head as he wore the armor, "I''m absolutely certain that I''m the strongest in this realm because no other Inner Sea realm cultivator can match me, but some things are out of my control, such as this weird Qi." He soon finished wearing his armor as he ced the talisman on his chest te and hung the formation te at his waist, "Oh, now that we are on this topic, do you know what this weird Qi is?" Chapter 176: Obsidian Spike of Dissolution He soon finished wearing his armor as he ced the talisman on his chest te and hung the formation te at his waist, "Oh, now that we are on this topic, do you know what this weird Qi is?" Yue Lan paused as if contemting something before responding, [I don''t know about the origin of this weird Qi since I can''t analyze it currently, but you should be careful about it nheless since this Qi doesn''t seem to be originating from this world.] "...Do you know anything else about this ce?" Shen Yuan asked while looking around. [No, but you will find that out when you explore it.] Shen Yuan nodded his head and started walking forward, observing each corner of the cave for any potential threat. "Hmm¡­weird, there is no living thing inside, not even a de of grass," he muttered to himself while observing the surroundings. He didn''t stop as he soon came before arge opening inside the cave, where a faint red light shed and the intensity of the weird Qi increased greatly. ''What is inside there?'' He stepped forward cautiously, tightly holding his sword. His eyes widened in astonishment at the sight inside the cave. "Wha-" he couldn''t even speak as the things inside were beyond his expectations. A giant crack inside the space of the cave, as if infecting the very fabric of reality. It pulsed with ck and red Qi as the crack seemed to emit that weird Qi. "Is this the source of that weird Qi?" he softly whispered. He extended his hand to feel a bit of that Qi on his hand, and this time he could feel it much more clearly. The Qi was inherently different from the normal Qi of the world; it was actively fighting against the normal Qi. Yet they were at a stalemate as neither could take advantage of the other, but Shen Yuan frowned as he saw the tenacity of the weird Qi. "Well¡­fuck. This is problematic." He released a bit more of his Qi before erasing the weird Qi from his palm. His frown deepened as he saw the cave filled with that Qi, "This is bad¡­if my pure Qi can only fight this Qi on equal footing, then the others¡­" He didn''t finish his words, but the implication was clear, and it spelled trouble for the rest of the sects and ns surrounding this ce. [What do you n to do now, Yuan''er?] Yue Lan''s voice echoed inside his mind. Shen Yuan stared at the crack in space as he thought over his precautions, "I will go inside to see what it has to offer. If I can find something useful, then it will be a gain; otherwise, I can at least gather some information about that ce." [But are you sure about this n?] Shen Yuan nodded, "Yes, with the level of preparations I have made, even death can''t im me." He spoke as he took out an identical talisman that he gave to Wan Ling and pasted it on his shoulder. "With this, I''m ready for whatever this hellhole has to offer." He spoke confidently and stepped toward the ckish-red crack. Yue Lan got silent as she didn''t bother warning him again as he knew full well the consequences of his choices. He soon came in front of the crack, observing it closely, yet he couldn''t see past it as a thin veil separated the two ces. "I see, the Mystique Realm has itself ced a barrier over this crack. That''s why no entity has passed through it, but the weird Qi still came out." He frowned as he extended his hand toward the barrier, gently touching it to see its reaction, but all of a sudden, the barrier pulsed and threw Shen Yuan back. WHOOSH! He flew back and hit the wall, BOOM!, raising a cloud of dust as he stood up and looked at the barrier again with a hint of solemnity in his eyes. "What the fuck! Why is this barrier so strong? It hit me with enough force to send me flying at a mere touch." He again looked deeply at the barrier, weighing his options as he stood up. "Any idea, Lan''er?" he asked since he couldn''t think of a solution. [Just use one of the artifacts you have. If I remember correctly, there was a barrier-breaking formation inside your storage space.] Shen Yuan felt his eye twitching as he shook his head, "That''s too dangerous. Who knows what kind of monsters will be released from that ce behind the barrier?" [You are underestimating the Mystique Realm. Even if you make a hole in the barrier and cross to the other side, it will heal itself in a few moments, otherwise, this eerie Qi wouldn''t have been able to pass through.] Shen Yuan paused as he realized he had underestimated this Mystique Realm. He mulled over whether to do it or not for a bit, ''Hmm¡­ I should go and make sure what is on the other side since whatever is inside of it getting released would be bad news for my sect due to its close proximity.'' He made up his mind as he started looking through the mountains of treasure inside his storage space. His eyes soon twitched as he realized he had amassed so many treasures that keeping count of them was getting hard. ''Sigh¡­'' he mentally sighed and spoke, "Take out a Barrier Breaking Treasure from the storage space." [Hehe.] Yue Lan giggled softly and took out a cone-shaped treasure from his storage space. [Obsidian Spike of Dissolution] [Grade: Unique] [Ability: Can Pierce a Dimension] [Usage: 1] Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow when he saw the details, "Quite the short details you give me¡ªno description, no background, etc." [You want me to say all that only for this treasure to be destroyed after a single use?] "Hmm¡­fair enough, but what about my return? How will I return if the treasure will break after a single use?" Shen Yuan asked as he nced below to observe the treasure. The glossy ck surface of the Obsidian Spike of Dissolution gleamed with silver runes etched upon it, emanating a faint, dark aura as if it would pierce one''s soul. [You can just use another treasure, not like you are short on such treasures.] Shen Yuan nodded and didn''t talk more, looking ahead at the crack while running the n he made inside his head again and again to look for any ws. "Good, let''s begin then." He took a deep breath and put the spike in front of him. [Oh, be careful, the spike is a bit unstable when dealing with the barriers of Worlds or Mystique Realms. You will need to adjust the flow of your Qi ording to how much it is draining.] Shen Yuan almost stumbled forward as Yue Lan interrupted him at the very end. His eyes twitched as he shook his head and started pouring a steady amount of Qi into the treasure without bothering with Yue Lan. The spike started buzzing as the silver runes atop it began to glow faintly, emanating a sharp aura as he pointed it toward the barrier. Chapter 177: The Weird Mansion [You will only have a few seconds to enter the barrier before it ispletely closed. So you better be prepared to make a run for it.] Shen Yuan nodded as he stepped forward slowly while increasing the intensity of the Qi he was infusing the spike with until it started to glowpletely silver. "Now!" He shouted as he pushed the spike with all his might toward the barrier, but little he expect that the spike would make a hole in the barrier before it could even unleash its full strength, making him stumble forward as he crossed the barrier. But the spike''s power was all used up as it gave onest sh of light before dimming down, yet it also annihted a lot of the eerie Qi from the surroundings. Shen Yuan hurriedly stood up as he assessed his surroundings for any apparent threat, but he soon heaved a sigh as nothing came into his view. He then looked at the spike in his hand, which slowly turned into dust as it flew away from his hand together with the wind. "That was quite powerful. Did I overestimate the barrier of the Mystique Realm or underestimate the power of this treasure?" He wondered as he observed his surroundings closely, his guard raised to the maximum in the new environment. [The spike was powerful enough to puncture a hole in a world barrier; this Mystique Realm''s barrier is nothing.] Shen Yuan nodded and finally nced down to see what he was standing on, "Red dirt?" He whispered as all he could see was red dirt in his vision, stretching to the horizon. He decided to walk forward in the destend, "Why is there not a de of grass here? Not even something unique to this environment. Does the Qi really not support any kind of life?" He couldn''t help but ask himself as he saw the condition of thend. He continued walking for a bit until, BAM!, he struck a wall, "Huh? What the-" He jumped back as he put a hand on his sword, ready to draw while he stared ahead. "Did I hit empty air?" He muttered to himself while ncing left and right to see what he struck into because all he could see in front of him was an empty wastnd. He cautiously took a few steps ahead, standing in front of the ce where he struck before. He raised his hand a little and ced it in front of him, measuring the ce before his eyes widened as he softly whispered, "A barrier¡­or an illusion?" As soon as he whispered the word, the whole world started cracking as fissures appeared all over the ce. Shen Yuan unsheathed his de to be ready for any surprise attack. But as the fissures grewrger, he realized that he was inside a giant room, where the crack in space was located, but the room was locked from all sides except one, where the wall was missing. As if someone frequently used it, Shen Yuan nced down to see the debris of the destroyed wall all over the ce. He softly poked it with his sword to take a general guess of the other party''s strength. But to his surprise, the rock didn''t budge an inch, much less being pierced by his sword. He frowned and put more force into his attack until the de bent, but the rock refused to budge. Shen Yuan took a deep breath seeing this. He knew he was in trouble as he slowly started to retreat from where he came from, but all of a sudden¡ª As if waiting for this moment, the cracks in space started closing. He felt his heart skip a beat at this sight as he sprinted towards the crack at his full speed, yet the cracks began to close faster and faster as he closed the distance. And soon, the entire crack closed, leaving him alone in this ce. His breath quickened as he knew he had to act fast before something unforeseen happened. He looked towards the exit before slowly moving closer to a wall. He started walking slowly from there as he didn''t want to meet up with whoever was the owner of this ce. The fallen debris made it clear that it was not something he could handle, so he started to look for a way out. ''Fuck fuck fuck! Why does this shit always happen to me? Was I born unlucky?'' he wailed inside his heart while slowly moving towards the exit. Which he soon reached as he poked his head outside the broken gate to see arge corridor, which was lit with torches that burned brightly with green mes. He started walking slowly, ''Hmm¡­this ce is only slightly bigger than the average mansion. Whose is this anyway? And this level of concentration of that eerie Qi¡­'' He felt his Qi being suppressed in this ce as the concentration became far too high for someone of his level to bear but if anyone else of his level were here, then this eerie Qi would have corroded that person down to their bones. But he didn''t think further as his pure Qi was enough to handle this level of eerie Qi. He continued to walk through the corridor as he changed paths multiple times, "Weird¡­no mansion guard and no maid here." He soon found a ce where various things were high on disy, his gazended on them as he felt a pressure far higher than what he could handle on his own. He felt his entire body being suppressed from merely being in their presence as he gritted his teeth and used his will to stand straight. But just then, his bloodline stirred as if provoked by the residual energy from the items on the wall. He soon felt his bloodline releasing its own aura and shing with the pressure of the items, but it helped him immensely as he felt free from the pressure. He gazed intently at them and murmured, "Skulls¡­of higher level beasts. Far higher than anything that I have encountered before." He realized they were the skulls of beasts stronger than even the Sect Leader of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect. But that didn''t intimidate him as he felt that he had a high chance of running away unscathed from the Sect Leader. But it raised his vignce to the next level as he averted his gaze from the wall and headed forward. He continued walking and weird ces kept popping up. One was a ce where a lot of tombstones were erected, and another ce was filled with rotten corpses of cultivators. Shen Yuan paused here as he felt a familiar aura from the bodies, "Hmm? They are Qi cultivators like me¡­" He muttered as he saw them, but soon shook his head as he headed ahead once again. He soon came in front of a massive door, which seemed to have been standing there since the beginning of time. His expression turned solemn as he walked forward slowly. As he observed the gate, he noticed faint carvings on top of it, which seemed to have been worn down due to the long passage of time. Chapter 178: Abyssal Entity He noticed something odd on the wall to the side before he could open the gate. Something seemed to have been etched in themonnguage of the Eastern Deste Region. Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow as he sensed Spiritual Qi from that etching; it seemed to be carved in blood on the walls. He moved closer to observe it more closely, "The Festival ising¡­" He paused as the markings abruptly ended there. He looked further along the wall to see if there were any other carvings etched, and he indeed found a few more words, "...The Festival of Death." Shen Yuan felt a chill down his back as soon as he read those words. "Wha-" he couldn''t evenprehend the meaning of those words as he read them again and again. "Do you know the meaning of these words, Lan''er?" He gravely asked Yue Lan, hoping for any insight into this tense situation. Yue Lan replied in a low voice, [I don''t know the customs of this world; how am I supposed to know about some random festival.] Shen Yuan''s eye twitched, but he didn''t bother to argue with her over it. He mulled over the words for a bit, but after failing to reach a conclusion, he shook his head. "Whatever shall happen will happen. I will deal with it when the timees." He moved back in front of the gates after ncing at the markings onest time and ced his hand on the door. But he felt goosebumps forming on his body, as if he were frozen on the spot, as his instincts screamed at him to run. He broke out in a cold sweat as he took a few steps back. "Lan''er, I don''t think I''m ready to face whatever is inside that ce. Do you think I should advance nheless or retreat for now?" Yue Lan replied in a heavy tone, [I can''t sense anything inside the room, so you''re on your own for now. But I also don''t think it''s wise to enter that ce, especially in this situation.] Shen Yuan nodded as he slowly began to back off. But before he could take a few more steps, the ancient door shook slightly. His movements paused as he focused his gaze on the door, and to his absolute shock, the gate began slowly opening. Shen Yuan abandoned all thoughts of retreating slowly as he crushed a talisman to teleport away from that ce, but from inside the gate, the same eerie Qi came ring outwards and froze the space. Rendering the talisman useless, and before Shen Yuan could even use his final talisman, his body froze and started levitating towards the gate. The suction from the gate kept increasing as his body moved faster and faster until it crossed a barrier that separated the room and the outside world. Shen Yuan was sent flying inside the room, his body drifting across the floor and creating a cloud of dust in his wake. He hurriedly stood up and looked around for the one responsible for his current situation, but he didn''t find anything. Soon, however, he heard a heavy voice. "Who dares to enter the mansion of this lord?" The voice was filled with a bone-chilling killing intent. Shen Yuan felt a chill run down his spine as he heard the voice. He slowly turned his head, his eyes widening at the sight of the entity who slowly materialized before him, shrouded in a dark aura that felt eerily simr to the weird Qi. A towering figure with an aura so immense it felt as though the shadows themselves clung to him stepped forward. The figure was human-like in shape but with unmistakable features that marked him as something far more dangerous. Jet-ck horns twisted from his forehead, curving backward and disappearing into the mass of wild, dark hair that framed his chiseled face. His eyes glowed an intense red, like moltenva. His skin was ashen gray, marked with faint tattoos upon his solid build. From his back, a tail as thick as an arm and ending in a barbed point swayed menacingly. His fingers formed long, sharpened ws that seemed capable of shing through the very fabric of reality. Shen Yuan gulped, trying to form a n of escape as he knew he had no chance of winning against that being as soon as his eyesnded on him. But before he could even form an escape route, the entity stared down at him and began speaking. "So, a mere mortal dares to intrude upon my sacred domain..." his voice boomed inside the hall as Shen Yuan felt the pressure increasing upon him. He raised his head to look at the entity''s expression, which had curled his lips in sheer disdain. "I had thought that no mortal woulde to this ce to get killed." He stepped forward a little, continuing, "Tell me, mortal. For what reason have youe into this abyssal hell?" Shen Yuan audibly gulped as he felt his heartbeat quicken, "I-I came from that crack to learn about the weird Qi being released from this ce." "Oh, you came here merely for this?" He conjured a ball of that weird Qi, which was hundreds or thousands of times denser than the Qi of the entire cebined. Shen Yuan inwardly screamed, ''Fuck, fuck, fuck, why is this being just loitering around in this godforsaken ce? Can''t he just roam the outside world creating chaos like they''re supposed to do?'' Almost as if the being understood what he thought, he replied with augh, "Kekeke, looks like you have a lot on your mind, huh? I''m here because I want to be here." The abyssal being stopped talking as it teleported in front of Shen Yuan, giving him a creepy grin, and kicked him in the chest. Shen Yuan''s eyes widened as he didn''t even have enough time to react before he was sent flying through the hall and hit the wall, spitting out a mouthful of blood from the impact. "Cough," his clothes became crimson as he stared back at the entity, but it had already disappeared from that ce. Just as Shen Yuan felt something on his right and turned his head to look, BOOM! Another kick from his right sent him flying again. "Augh!" he groaned as he spat out blood again. He hurriedly looked back at the ce where the entity was, but he still didn''t find it, his body tense as he prepared for another hit. "¡­" But nothing happened as he raised his head to look around. The entity stood some distance away from him, staring in his direction menacingly. "Hoh, quite the tenacious will you have, huh?" the entity''s lips curled up in amusement as he raised his hand and gathered that eerie Qi in his hand again, "Let''s see if you will be alive after this." Shen Yuan tried to focus his eyes on the entity, but all he could see was red. His body twitched a little as he rxed, but this moment proved fatal as his body nearly dropped to the ground. The entity teleported in front of him, but instead of kicking him again, he grabbed his neck. Chapter 179: Death "This will be interesting, kekeke." He nced down at Shen Yuan''s hand. "Hoh, still holding your sword with your bloody body. Let''s see if you''ll be able to do that after I''m done with you." Without hesitating further, he shoved his hand into Shen Yuan''s chest, grabbing his heart as the eerie Qi spread throughout his body. "Kekeke, this ''weird Qi'' is not something a mere ant at your level can withstand." He spoke with a smug grin, but it froze all of a sudden as he felt a strange presence emanating from Shen Yuan''s body. Shen Yuan''s eyes turned blood red as he felt his bloodline activate once again. Its mere presence forced the Qi to calm down. "Wha-" The entity''s eyes widened in shock, but before he could do anything more to Shen Yuan, the talisman on Shen Yuan''s shoulder lit up with light. BOOM! Then an explosion happened as the protective shield self-detonated, puncturing a hole in the barrier created by the abyssal entity, sting him back and separating him from Shen Yuan. "WHAT THE FU-" Just as the abyssal entity stood up to look at Shen Yuan again, the talisman burned up, turning Shen Yuan into a beam of light that left a trail through space-time. "AHHHH!" The Abyssal Entity roared in frustration. "WHO THE FUCK WAS THAT?" He trashed the hall around him. "Guards! Prepare for another battle! I need to ughter a few lesser beings today to make up for this loss." The abyssal entity roared towards the training group of the mansion. ¡­ "Ahh, to hell with it! How long do we have to wait inside this ce? Those bastards are barraging us with attacks," Chen Yuan shouted in frustration. Ling Mei patted her shoulder softly. "Don''t worry about them; you know we are not strong in a head-on battle. We will only lose if we go out now." Wan Ling also nodded in agreement. "Senior Brother Shen Yuan left this treasure with us for a reason. He must have expected this to happen to us." "Sigh¡­ you guys are ri-" Chen Yue paused as, before any of the disciples could react, the talisman in Wan Ling''s hand began to glow. "Wha-" Wan Ling tried to hold the talisman tightly, but it left her hand and floated in front of her. It burned in front of the disciples'' eyes as it soon turned into a spatial vortex. Wan Ling and the others'' eyes widened in surprise as they saw a bodye out of the vortex. But soon, their eyes filled with horror as they realized it was the battered body of Shen Yuan. Wan Ling hurriedly walked forward to grab his body. "Big Brother!!" she shouted as her eyes nearly watered. Then she nced down and saw a hole where Shen Yuan''s heart was supposed to be. She felt her vision darken at the sight and she nearly fainted. Ling Mei supported her as her eyes also turned misty at seeing Shen Yuan in such a state. "Wh-what happened to him?" Chen Yue''s eyes filled with worry as she grabbed Shen Yuan''s hand to check his pulse. "How is this possible!" she shouted with surprise, but then her eyes filled with happiness. "He is alive! Senior Brother is alive!!" Wan Ling and Ling Mei hurriedly checked his pulse as well. "What?" Their eyes also filled with shock, but soon it turned into hope as they hurriedly looked in their storage rings for healing pills. "Gasp! Cough, cough," Shen Yuan opened his eyes as he took a deep breath, but due to blood filling his lungs, he coughed out blood. Without looking at his injuries, he nced ahead with his bloodlust gaze, searching for the Abyssal Entity, which scared the young disciples so much they retreated back. But Shen Yuan''s gaze turned soft as he saw that he was back. "Cough, Lan''er¡­ take¡­ out¡­ healing¡­ pill¡­" He spoke throughbored breaths as a healing pill materialized in front of him, but due to his weakness, he couldn''t move a muscle to eat it. Wan Ling, seeing this, hurriedly picked up the healing pill and gently ced it in Shen Yuan''s mouth. Shen Yuan gulped it down and closed his eyes. Wan Ling, Chen Yue, and Ling Mei looked at each other, worry clouding their gazes as Wan Ling even had tear marks on her cheek. The rest of the disciples silently gazed at Shen Yuan, wondering what could have damaged him so badly in the Mystique Realm since they had experienced his strength firsthand. ¡­ Some time passed and they still didn''t move from their position, but Chen Yue suddenly shouted in excitement, "Look! His wound on the chest is closing already!" Wan Ling and the rest hurriedly moved their gazes toward his chest, heaving a sigh of relief after seeing that he had finally started healing. They rxed their bodies, and after a while of calming down, one of the younger disciples, Zhao Lian, asked, "How was he even alive with his heart ripped out? I doubt even the sect leader can do something like that." Ling Mei shook her head. "You are underestimating our Sect Leader too much, but even without that, it''s unheard of for someone on Senior Brother Shen Yuan''s level to survive such damage. Having a heart ripped out is no small matter, after all." Wan Ling nodded her head. "I think it''s because of his special physique. If it''s something rted to vitality, or if its sheer grade is high enough to provide him with that much vitality, then it is indeed possible." Chen Yue nodded. "That should be the case. His strength would make sense if he has an absurdly high-grade physique, like one of the legendary Heaven-grade physiques." Wan Ling moved forward, seeing that Shen Yuan''s visible wound had closed, though his clothes were still in tatters. She carefully made him sit in the lotus position to make his recovery easier. "There, that should help him recover faster." She smiled to herself, yet the worry in her eyes couldn''t be masked. Ling Mei patted her head. "Don''t worry now; since he survived all that, he won''t die this easily. He will recover in no time at all." Chen Yue nodded. "Yeah, no need to worry about Senior Brother anymore. He will recover in-" but before she could continue speaking, she felt the tremors of the attacks again. "Ahh, these ungrateful bastards!" Chen Yue cursed in anger as the disciples of the Ironwood Mountain n attacked the treasure. "Leave them be; it won''t be long until they canugh." Ling Mei smirked as she saw Shen Yuan''s chaotic Qi stabilizing rapidly. ¡­ "Senior Brother, are you sure we can break this artifact if we continue attacking?" one of the disciples asked worriedly to Shan Bo. "Hmph! Just continue attacking; this piece of scrap metal won''t survive for long under ourbined attacks." Shan Bo replied with an anger-filled voice. "But we have already wasted so much of our time here¡­" The younger disciples still couldn''t shake the feeling of unease that grew with each passing second as he tried to persuade Shan Bo to leave. "Don''t tell me what to do and just do as you are told." Shan Bo snapped as he ordered the younger disciple to go and attack the treasure again. Chapter 180: Waking Up The younger disciple hurriedly lowered his head and bowed before leaving to attack the treasure again. "Shen Yuan... just you wait, bastard!" Shan Bo muttered to himself while gritting his teeth as he remembered how Shen Yuan scammed him out of his storage ring. ... Wan Ling looked back at Shen Yuan, seeing how his injuries were healing rapidly. "Good, he is nearly healed now." Ling Mei muttered to herself, "His healing powers are truly otherworldly." They felt the treasure shaking as all the girls hurriedly looked outside the window. "This treasure might not hold up any longer," one of the younger disciples muttered to herself. But before they could observe outside the building any longer, they felt a wave of energy pulsating from behind them, which pressed most of them down on the ground as they turned around to see Shen Yuan floating up from his meditative position. ''What is this Qi doing inside of me?'' Shen Yuan thought inwardly. He tried to move the Qi from around his body, but it didn''t budge. ''What the hell is this Qi made of? It has filled all my meridians and acupoints and won''t even budge now.'' He thought in frustration, but all of a sudden, his bloodline stirred as it released pressure on the weird Qi inside Shen Yuan''s body. Shen Yuan felt something move in his body as he saw the weird Qi leaving his acupoints and meridians and gathering inside his dantian. ''Wait, wait! That''s my primary cultivation dantian. It will ruin my foundation if it gathers there!'' he hurriedly screamed in his mind, and the bloodline seemed to listen to him. It pulsed again, and Shen Yuan lost consciousness due to the pressure. [What is happening?] Yue Lan muttered softly as she felt Shen Yuan''s consciousness nking, but before she could check further, the bloodline abomination she saw on her first day in this world manifested inside Shen Yuan''s sea of consciousness. [What the hell are you doing here??] Yue Lan''s voice chilled as she shouted at the abominable entity in front of her as the bloodline avatar stood in front of Shen Yuan''s true spirit. But it didn''t reply to her as it turned around and stared at the weird Qi inside Shen Yuan''s main dantian, which seemed to be infecting his foundation. The avatar raised its palm and slowly closed its fingers as if crushing an ant, and all the weird Qi infecting Shen Yuan''s dantian was pushed out and gathered inside the third empty dantian. The dantian seemed to turn into a ck abyss as the weird Qi settled there, seemingly satisfied with its new home. The bloodline avatar lowered its hand and nced back at Shen Yuan''s true spirit before dissipating and returning to Shen Yuan''s body. [What even is this thing? Having the avatar of a bloodline manifest inside one''s sea of consciousness is unheard of throughout all realms.] Yue Lan muttered to herself in confusion as the existence of the avatar didn''t make sense to her. ... Shen Yuan''s body pulsed with energy as he slowly opened his eyes to see all the disciples, including Wan Ling, Ling Mei, and Chen Yue, kneeling in front of him due to the sheer pressure his body was unconsciously releasing. "Ah, sorry about that." Shen Yuan spoke in a gentle tone as he took back all the pressure that was being released from his body. The girls finally felt alive again as they released their bated breaths, slowly standing up and seeing Shen Yuan perfectly healed and standing in front of them. Wan Ling slowly moved towards him, staring at him with watery eyes. Shen Yuan saw her, smiled, and stepped forward to hug her tightly. "Sorry for making you worry about me," he said softly while gently caressing her back. Wan Ling sniffed quietly and ced her head on his chest, hugging him back tightly as she asked with rough breaths, "What... what happened inside the tunnel?" Shen Yuan patted her head. "We will talk about thatter. For now, it looks like some stupid bastards are in dire need of getting killed." His eyes shed with killing intent as he saw the disciples outside attacking their treasure. "I expected something like this to happen, but I didn''t guess they would be this persistent. Looks like they haven''t learned their lesson yet," he muttered as he started walking toward the exit. Chen Yue, Ling Mei, and the others followed after him. "Let us help you, Senior Brother!" They shouted in unison as Shen Yuan just smiled and continued walking forward while checking his internal situation. ''Fuck! My cultivation dropped to the 7th level Foundation Establishment Realm due to the outbreak of that eerie Qi,'' he thought in frustration while checking the rest of his body. ''Wait¡ªthe eerie Qi wasn''t expelled but instead stored into one of the other dantians?'' He felt his heart stop as he observed that abyssal dantian, which seemed unlike any of his other dantians. He tried to move the Qi to utilize it, but the Qi didn''t budge even a little. ''Fuck! Does this mean one of my dantians will be upied with this Qi?'' He thought deeply about it but sighed in the end, thinking with a smile, ''To hell with it, I have more than enough to lose out on a few of them.'' Shen Yuan kicked open the door as he saw the disciples outside preparing for another barrage of attacks on his treasure. "What the fuck do you shitheads think you are doing?" Shen Yuan shouted as he looked toward the Ironwood Mountain n''s members. Stay connected through m-v l|e''-NovelBin All the n members paused in their attacks as they saw Shen Yuan, but they soonughed as they saw his tattered clothes. "Hahaha, did you get stomped down by some beasts? Why are you in such tattered clothes?" Shan Boughed wildly as he saw Shen Yuan, but his smile soon froze as he saw the beautiful disciplesing out from the same treasure as Shen Yuan. He pointed his finger at Shen Yuan, his hand trembling, "Wh-what were you doing inside the room all alone with these female disciples that you are all tattered now?" All the female disciples blushed as they heard hisment, while Shen Yuan felt his eye twitching. He put away the sword he was still holding and looked straight at Shan Bo. "You ungrateful fuck! You forgot how I saved your life, and now you want to attack my fellow disciples as soon as you saw me go missing?" he asked in a cold tone, not minding his tattered clothes, as only he knew what he had survived with them. Shan Boughed out of rage, "I have not seen anyone as shameless and audacious as you, Shen Yuan! Robbing us in broad daylight yet iming to have saved our lives!" Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, "Hoh? Then would you guys have survived if I hadn''t intervened and given you all the detoxification pills? I even left weapons for you guys." Shan Bo felt his chest burning with rage as he shouted at the top of his lungs, "MOTHERFUCKER! Even children don''t use them in our sect, and you expect us to fight the beasts in this Mystique Realm with them??" Shen Yuan shrugged his shoulders, "It''s better to fight with a weapon than without a weapon, no?" Shan Bo erupted, "ENOUGH! ATTACK THIS BASTARD!" All the n members took out their weapons as a few of them pulled their bowstrings and took aim at Shen Yuan before shooting at him. Shen Yuan smiled as he felt his body much lighter than before despite his cultivation having dropped. He moved like the wind and dodged all the arrows. "That''s all? Even I did better with the training weapons than you guys." He teased them while dodging the arrows, which they continued shooting. Shan Bo gritted his teeth seeing this as he took out two axes from his back and charged at Shen Yuan. "Attack at close range!" he shouted to his men as all the close-range fighters took out their weapons and headed toward Shen Yuan. "Good, good. You guys truly helped me bying over yourselves." He chuckled as he stomped down on the ground, took out a spear, and jumped forward to meet with Shan Bo head-on. "Let''s see how strong you are." Shen Yuan shouted as he lifted the spear above his head before smashing it down on the ground. BOOM!! A shockwave was created as it knocked back most of the Ironwood Mountain disciples, while Shan Bo ced the two axes in front of him to withstand the pressure. "HAHA, the fun is just starting." Shen Yuan said as he jumped toward the archers in the back, once again smashing his spear on the ground and sending the archers flying back. They spat out a mouthful of blood as well. Wan Ling and the others watched in awe as Shen Yuan dominated all the n disciples alone. Chapter 181: Beating Down Shan Bo ''Good, good, I just needed a few punching bags to vent my frustration,'' Shen Yuan thought with a gloomy look in his eyes as he remembered his one-sided thrashing by the Abyssal Entity. His eyes turned as he swiped his spear upward to deflect the oing arrows. He saw that Shan Bo and the others had already stood up and were loading their bows again. He tightened his grip on his spear as he looked at them. ''Hmm, I should knock out the fodders first and then y with Shan Bo.'' He looked at the disciples in the back who were standing up again. He smirked as he shook his spear again and started attacking them. "AHH, MY HAND, MY HAND!!!" one disciple screamed as Shen Yuan sliced off his right hand. "Quit screaming, you can regrow it with a good pill," Shen Yuan spoke with sarcasm as he knew these disciples can''t afford those pills. He then raised his head to look at the rest of the disciples, his eyes cold as they all took a step back. "Now, who is next?" He took a step forward as all the n members retreated one step. "What are you all doing?? Step forward! Charge at him!" Shan Bo screamed as he saw his n members retreating at the sight of Shen Yuan. "Give up, they have already lost the will to fight," Shen Yuan said as he raised the spear with one hand and put it above his shoulder, stretching his hand as he took aim at the n members. "Now, watch!" he shouted as he threw the spear. The n members'' eyes widened in fear as they hurriedly moved out of the way to avoid the attack, but the spear still prated the thighs of a few n members; the first one got his leg obliterated, and the next few weren''t much luckier than him. Shan Bo''s eyes widened in fear and anger as he saw his n members being dismembered right in front of him. His rage clouded his judgment as he screamed again, "Attack now! He doesn''t have any weapon, we can take him down now." He spoke more to encourage his n members as when they saw Shen Yuan, their eyes lit up with hope as they tightened their hands on the weapons. But Shen Yuan gave them a grin and took out a scythe instead. "Oh? Do you think I only have a single weapon in my storage ring even after you all ''donated'' your storage rings to me?" His words were like a bucket of cold water as the disciples felt their hope being crushed in front of them, their hands shook as they dropped their weapons. "No... no... WE CAN''T WIN AGAINST THAT FUCKING MONSTER!!" one disciple screamed before running away from the battlefield. Shen Yuan smiled, seeing this, as he wanted to cut down the number of fodders anyway, but this strategy seemed the most helpful to him. As the other disciples saw him sessfully running away without attracting the attention of Shen Yuan, they also began having thoughts of running away as they looked at each other''s eyes. Shan Bo felt his heart dropping at this sight as he clenched his fist and shouted, "ALL DESERTERS WILL BE KILLED!" The other disciples felt their backs drenched in cold sweat as they prayed for the first guy. Shen Yuan smiled, but there seemed to be coldness dripping from his eyes. "Yet, if you guys don''t leave now, then I will be the one to kill you right here. You have hope for the future, but if you don''t run away..." He didn''t finish his sentence, but the disciples understood the implications as their internal struggle grew with each passing second. The disciples looked at each other, yet none seemed to be leaving as they didn''t want to be the first ones to stand out. Shen Yuan saw that they were not leaving. "Sigh, you guys left me no choice." He turned his scythe and jumped towards the nearest group of disciples. Their eyes filled with horror as they didn''t think Shen Yuan would attack so soon. The disciples in the front tried to resist his attack while the disciples in the back retreated hurriedly to get away from the area of impact. Shen Yuan didn''t bother with their defense as he shed their chests one after another, drawing massive amounts of blood. He paused as he saw that all the remaining disciples began running away. He nodded and nced around to find Shan Bo. "That sneaky bastard..." he muttered to himself as he saw that Shan Bo was one of the first disciples to run away. But he didn''t give up as he infused his eyes with his Qi to look further into the distance, where he found the disciples running. He looked around for a while until his lips curled into a smile. "Found you..." His body slowly faded from his location as Ling Mei and the others watched with excitement as Shen Yuan moved through the group of n members to reach Shan Bo. "Where do you think you are going, huh?" Shen Yuan said as he put away his scythe and kicked Shan Bo in the chest. "Ugh," he groaned as he was sent flying back in front of the female disciples. The n members paused, looking back to see Shan Bo lying on the ground. Some thought of rescuing him, but as soon as they saw Shen Yuan heading toward Shan Bo, all thoughts of retreating evaporated from their minds. They hurriedly looked away as if they hadn''t just seen Shan Bo flying back and continued running away from Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan came in front of Shan Bo. "Heh, look who got abandoned so soon." Shan Bo opened his eyes while clutching his chest in pain, only to see Shen Yuan''s smirking face. "Y-You bastard! You can''t kill me! My n had an agreement with your Sect about this Mystique Realm." Shen Yuan smiled. "Yes, our sect had such an agreement, but I don''t remember where it said that we can''t hurt each other?" His smile turned wicked as he kicked Shan Bo again to send him flying. "You had fun bullying my junior sisters, huh?" He sprinted towards Shan Bo again as he saw him groaning on the ground. "Why don''t you show me how strong you are, huh?" He kicked him again, breaking the bones of his hand as he sent him flying through the forest. "Is Senior Brother angry for us?" one of the younger disciples asked with a lovestruck gaze while looking at Shen Yuan beating down Shan Bo. Wan Ling nodded her head eagerly, "Of course, I''m sure big brother is angry for us because of how those guys bullied us before." Ling Mei''s eyebrow twitched as she thought, ''How were we even bullied? We entered the room as soon as they started attacking us.'' Though other disciples thought otherwise as they felt good when Shen Yuan beat down Shan Bo. By now, Shan Bo had already broken a lot of his bones by being kicked around by Shen Yuan all over the forest. Chapter 182: Leaving Yet all he could do was whine in pain and beg for mercy again and again. "Ahh, please spare me! I was wrong." But Shen Yuan didn''t listen to one of his pleas as he kicked him in the face, breaking his nose and sending him flying again. He slowly came above Shan Bo again, "Hmm? Lost consciousness?" he muttered as he raised his leg and stomped down on his chest. Pressing him down on the ground as he spat out a mouthful of blood and regained consciousness. Yet his voice became weak, "Sp...are...me..." "Ah? What did you say?" Shen Yuan asked loudly before stomping him again on the ground. "Augh..." He lost consciousness again as blood began seeping out from his fresh wounds. Shen Yuan shook his head and began heading back toward the other disciples. [Vented enough?] Yue Lan asked in azy voice. "Cough, I wasn''t venting, I just taught them a little lesson." [Yeah, yeah, I know how much you ''taught'' them.] Yue Lan rolled her eyes at him, but Shen Yuan soon continued as his voice turned serious. "What was that Abyssal Entity? Why was I so powerless in front of him?" [As you guessed, it was an entity from the Abyss. As for what it is? I can only tell you that the Abyss is a worse ce than hell. As for your other question, it''s because that guy''s cultivation base was stronger than anyone you have faced till now.] "Even stronger than Sect Leader Mei Hua?" Shen Yuan asked seriously as the implications of this were far too resounding. [Yes. Much stronger than her.] "Then I need to find a way to seal off the spatial crack inside that cave," Shen Yuan thought worriedly as he didn''t want to face that monster just yet. [You don''t need to worry about that for the time being. That being can''t send anyone higher than the maximum level allowed, and another thing is that the spatial crack will be in a period of cooldown as the spatial coordinates would have be chaotic after you used that treasure on it.] Shen Yuan mulled over her words while walking as he asked after a while, "But it isn''t a solution to my problem. I still need to find a way to get rid of that crack permanently." [Then you need to refine the heart of this Mystique Realm to get full control over it.] Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up. "That''s it! That''s what I wanted. So, how can I refine the heart of this Mystique Realm?" [You just need to head to the center area of the Mystique Realm and find the densest area with Spiritual Qi, and then look through theyers of Space to locate the heart, or you can overfill the area with so much Spiritual Qi that the Heart of the Mystique Realm has no choice but to reveal itself to absorb it.] Shen Yuan first felt disappointment due to the difficulty of the task, but his eyes lit up as the one thing he was leastcking in right now was Spirit Stones. "Wait, I forgot about my Dantian due to that idiot Shan Bo." He facepalmed himself as he asked, "Do you know what is happening with my third Dantian?" [I don''t know, I didn''t do it. Hmph!] Yue Lan hmphed as she refused to speak. Shen Yuan''s eyes twitched as he realized something, "So, it was my bloodline''s doing, huh." He shook his head helplessly, "Do you know how I can control it at least?" [You need the bloodline of those fiends to control that Abyssal Qi.] Shen Yuan sighed as he knew getting that bloodline would be truly hard because of how his bloodline treated the Abyssal Qi. He soon reached the other disciples, who looked in his direction in worry and excitement. Their eyes lit up as they saw Shen Yuaning out of the bushes. They ran towards him, "Senior Brother!!" They shouted in unison. Shen Yuan could see the pure happiness on their faces as they saw him. He smiled in return and walked towards them. "You were so cool, Senior Brother!" "Yes, you dominated all those idiots alone!" "You are truly an unparalleled genius, Senior Brother!" ... They continued shouting one praise after another as Shen Yuan smiled at each of them. "Okay, okay, calm down now." He raised his hand and took back the treasure which he gave to Wan Ling before for protecting herself and the other disciples. "Can you tell us what you encountered inside that cave, Senior Brother?" Ling Mei came forward and asked in a serious tone. "Yes, if whatever inside was able to injure you to that extent, then we will get killed without a doubt." Chen Yue added as she herself felt dread just thinking about facing an entity which managed to injure Shen Yuan to this extent. Shen Yuan looked at them for a second before deciding against telling them about the Abyssal Being. Instead, he smiled gently, "You don''t need to worry about that for now, we need to clear out this Mystique Realm first before we can discuss other matters freely." The other disciples nodded their heads and heaved a sigh of relief as they also didn''t want to face that being. "Now, let''s go and look for other inheritances inside here," Shen Yuan said energetically to distract the disciples from the previous encounter. The disciples'' faces lit up as they remembered how most of them had already gotten something suitable for themselves. Shen Yuan looked in all directions before picking the route toward the center of the Mystique Realm. The disciples followed behind him as they had only gained profit from the start of the Mystique Realm and had not lost a single one of their members. ... "Look! That''s ab of Golden Nectarbee!!" Chen Yue shouted excitedly. "Wha- It''s real??" While Wan Ling opened her mouth wide in astonishment. "I heard the Golden Nectarbee produces some of the tastiest honey, which also helps in refining the constitution of a cultivator and helps to improve it," Ling Mei spoke up excitedly. Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up as he saw the honeb as well. "I have heard about this as well. But I read somewhere that they have be extinct due to the extensive hunting for their honey." "Looks like we lucked out then." One of the younger disciples chuckled as the honeb wasrge enough for hundreds of people, and they only had 10. Just as the disciples were about to take a step forward, Shen Yuan raised his hand as he heard some noises. "DAMN! We hit gold with this honeb." "Yes, now we can proudly leave the Mystique Realm and won''t shame our sect for returning empty-handed." ... Shen Yuan heard some voices as he realized that one of the voices seemed familiar to him. "Oh? Azure Sky Sect also came here to join in on the fun?" Shen Yuan grinned as he realized it was the disciple who ran away in the beginning of the Mystique Realm from him. Chen Yue tilted her head and asked in a low voice, "Is the Azure Sky Sect here as well, Senior Brother?" Chapter 183: Golden Nectarbee Shen Yuan nodded his head, "Yes, and that guy we met in the beginning is also there among them." Chen Yue smiled wickedly, "Heh, I can''t wait to see his face when he sees our improved strength. With the inheritances that we have received, he will not stand a chance against us." Shen Yuan shook his head, "There are still quite a few disciples among them who are stronger than the current you." "What about in terms of healing? Are they also better than us?" Ling Mei asked with pride. Shen Yuan chuckled softly, "None of them canpare to you guys in that field; even their core disciples can''tpare to you guys." Shen Yuan paused as he looked at their proud faces, "But that''s because healing is not their focus. They are only after cultivating their strength. So in a battle, an average outer sect disciple will win against Azure Sky Gate." The disciples'' smiles froze as what Shen Yuan said indeed made sense. "Then what about the Inner Sect, Senior Brother?" Chen Yue didn''t want to give up so she asked again. "I don''t know, I haven''t seen any old Inner Sect disciple judge that ordingly. I only know of you two, Ling Mei and Chen Yue, who are Inner Sect disciples. But you guys only recently became Inner Sect disciples, so you don''t count." The disciples got silent as they mulled over his words, while Shen Yuan gazed above them to see the disciples of Azure Sky Sect carefully preparing to capture the honeb. "Senior Brother, what should we do? I have heard that Golden Nectarbees are highly dangerous as they won''t let anyone take their honey. If we want to extract the honey, then we need to lure away the bees," Wan Ling spoke worriedly as she gazed at the honeb. "We need someone to lure away all the bees so we can extract the honey," Ling Mei thoughtfully spoke. "Who among us will do something so dangerous?" Gao Xiu asked fearfully. "Haha, don''t we already have live targets ready for that?" Shen Yuanughed and pointed at the Azure Sky Sect disciples. The disciples'' eyes lit up as they understood what Shen Yuan was nning; their smiles turned mischievous as they looked at each other. Shen Yuan smiled and took out a bow. "Let''s wait until they surround the honeb before doing it." He patiently waited for the disciples of Azure Sky Sect to make a move, watching them prepare themselves. Shen Yuan watched as the disciples slowly took out a torch and burned it to create smoke to drive away the bees, slowly inching closer to the honeb as Shen Yuan pulled the bowstring and made an arrow out of his Qi. "Just a bit more," he softly muttered as he saw the Azure Sky Sect''s disciples getting closer and closer to the honeb. Shen Yuan''s eyes sharpened as he saw the perfect opportunity to shoot; he took aim above the heads of the disciples where they were holding the torches. SWISH The arrow cleaved through the air without making a sound as it released threads of Qi around itself and destroyed all the torches that the disciples were holding up. Ling Mei and the others'' eyes widened in shock as they saw the arrow heading directly for the honeb. "No no no." "The honeb will be destroyed!!" "Senior Brother!" All the disciples hurriedly spoke as they saw the arrow not stopping. Shen Yuan smiled and raised his hand lightly, "Calm down and just watch." On the other side, the eyes of Azure Sky Sect disciples widened in fear as they felt an arrow zooming past them. They didn''t think someone would be lurking at this instance, and worse, that arrow could have taken their lives. But what they didn''t expect was that the arrow was heading directly towards the honeb. Their eyes widened as, before they could react, the arrow exploded some distance away from the honeb. Startling all the Golden Nectarbees inside the honeb. Soon everyone heard a buzzing sound; everyone''s heart froze as their bodies tensed. Slowly, one after another, shiny golden bees starteding out of the honeb. The disciples felt their scalps numbing as their hearts turned cold, sweat forming on their foreheads just at the mere sight of them. "RUN!" The leader of the Azure Sky Sect disciples shouted before he started running away. The disciples'' eyes widened as they followed suit and started sprinting after their young master. Yet the Golden Nectarbees seemed angrier than ever as they all left the nest, except a few to guard it, and started flying after the Azure Sky Sect. "Fuck fuck fuck! Which bastard was it who shot that arrow?" The leader of the disciples cursed as he ran at full speed. But the Golden Nectarbees were able to keep up with him without any problem. He took out his main weapon, a folding fan, to attack the bees in hopes of scaring them away. Read thetest on m_v-l''e|-NovelBin But this only seemed to anger them, as a lot more started following after him. The other disciples didn''t fare all that well either, as the bees stung them continuously. Shen Yuan smirked, seeing this scene as the disciples behind him also giggled softly, theirughter resounding like a morning bell. "Hahaha, look at them running like defeated dogs." "Senior Brother is so awesome; he managed to clear the honeb without destroying it." Ling Mei nodded her head as she put a hand on her chest and exhaled in relief, "I really thought Senior Brother would destroy the honeb with that arrow." Wan Ling raised her head proudly, "You are underestimating Senior Brother Shen Yuan too much then. Hehe, it was only natural that he would use the most effective strategy." "Don''t mind the small details, let''s go and collect the honey. It is enough for all of us to improve ourselves." Shen Yuan waved his hand and started heading towards the honeb. "It''s a good thing the poison in the Golden Nectarbee''s sting isn''t life-threatening. So they should be fine with it, hehe." Chen Yue giggled softly while informing the younger disciples not to worry about the Azure Sky Sect. They continued chatting as Shen Yuan walked in front of the group towards the honeb. ''Hmm, should I try to grow these bees inside my Dual Cultivation Space?'' Shen Yuan thought inwardly while looking at the honeb. [You can''t do that inside the Dual Cultivation Chambers. It is for DUAL CULTIVATION, not for you to grow some bees.] Yue Lan snappily replied as if she didn''t want her ce to get dirty with bees. ''Sheesh, alright, I won''t do it. No need to get angry over it.'' Shen Yuan shook his head internally with a smile. ''But I can at least store it in the system storage so the incubated eggs inside the honeb can stay alive until I find a ce for them to grow?'' He asked with a smile, expecting a positive answer this time. [...fine. And you wouldn''t have been able to afford the cost of growing bees inside the Dual Cultivation Chamber anyway. Each living being inside is treated like your Dual Cultivation Partner and takes equal Chaps Coins to stay. Now imagine how many living bees there will be in under a month from a honeb.] ''...'' Shen Yuan''s eyes twitched as he forgot there was a cost for using Dual Cultivation Chambers since he hasn''t used them in such a long time. He shook his head as he soon reached under the giant tree where the honeb was located. He saw quite a few shiny golden bees buzzing around the honeb as if vigntly surveying the surroundings for any possible intruder. Their defense instantly increased as Shen Yuan came close to them. He raised an eyebrow as he thought hard about how to handle them. "Umm¡­ Senior Brother... I can handle them." A young disciple from the group meekly said to Shen Yuan. "Hmm?" Shen Yuan turned his head to see Zhao Lian stepping forward, "Ah, Zhao Lian, how do you n to do that?" Zhao Lian''s face brightened up as Shen Yuan didn''t dismiss her but instead asked her to continue. Her courage grew as she spoke with a bit of confidence, "I''m proficient in healing with the use of needles. I can take them down by using one of the throwing needle techniques that I learned before, since there aren''t that many of them." Shen Yuan''s mouth twitched as he had been thinking of a way to tame the bees instead of killing them. But seeing the excited and hopeful face of Zhao Lian, he couldn''t bring himself to reject her. ''Oh well, I can always get new ones from the eggs inside the honeb.'' He smiled and stepped aside as he gestured for her to go ahead, "Sure, let us witness your needle techniques then, Zhao Lian." Zhao Lian nodded her head and stepped forward while bringing out a set of small needles. Chapter 184: Realm Guardian She infused them with her Qi as the other disciples watched her. Zhao Lian took a deep breath and focused her aim to attack the bees buzzing all over the ce above their heads, yet they didn''te down to attack them. She waved her hand rapidly and sent one needle after another at the bees flying overhead. All the needles hit their targets as Shen Yuan saw one bee getting hit after another. "Good." Shen Yuan praised as he saw the precision of the attacks. Zhao Lian blushed slightly at hispliment as she soon finished up with the rest of the bees. "Let''s collect the entire honeb and run away from here first; those bees should be returning soon as they might have felt something from here," Shen Yuan said softly. The other disciples nodded their heads and stepped back to let Shen Yuan take care of the rest. "Good job, Little Lian." Shen Yuan patted her head while she was returning, making her blush brightly as she lowered her head and shyly walked back. He slowly moved forward while looking up at the honeb as he took out his scythe. "Now, let''s collect it," he said with a grin and shed at the trunk of the tree, cutting it in half. The disciples hurriedly moved back to avoid getting smashed by the falling tree. Ling Mei felt her eyes twitching as she asked, "Couldn''t you just have cut the branch holding the honeb? Why did you sh the entire tree?" Shen Yuan hurriedly shed again and stuck his scythe in the tree to prevent it from falling down. After securing it, he replied with a smile, "It''s faster." He picked up the entire tree and put it in his storage space. [Just a reminder, you can''t keep it inside the system space for long as it doesn''t support life. Before all the eggs die, you better move them somewhere else.] Yue Lan''s voice echoed inside his head as Shen Yuan''s lips twitched. ''Why didn''t you remind me about thisst time?'' [...] Shen Yuan looked back at the group, "Let''s head to the center of the Mystique Realm; we need to find the center of this realm." The disciples looked at each other as they couldn''t understand what he wanted to do there. Nheless, the group followed after him as he began walking. None asked him for honey as he himself had collected it without the help of any of them except Zhao Lian. But she didn''t want any of it, as she just wanted to repay Shen Yuan for saving her and giving her so many opportunities during this time. Shen Yuan smiled to himself, seeing this as he spoke without ncing back, "No need to think so much; I will distribute the honeyter. We need to move fast for now, as we don''t have much time left." The disciples'' eyes lit up as they hurriedly followed after him. ¡­ "This ce is so rich with Spiritual Qi!" Chen Yue spoke in excitement as she felt the dense Qi surrounding her. "This ce is like the training ground of our Outer Sect, the only difference is the amount of Qi here is higher." Ling Mei spoke as she measured the Qi. Shen Yuan infused his eyes with Qi as he observed the entire ce, ''Hmm¡­ the Qi is being extracted in small amounts all over the ce, and that''s why the concentration is not increasing more than this. The Qi here is in equilibrium.'' "What should we do now, Senior Brother?" Wan Ling asked as she looked at Shen Yuan. "What else?" Shen Yuan smirked as he waved his hand, and mountains of Spirit Stones dropped to the ground. "Fill this ce with Qi." The density of the Qi increased tenfold as he didn''t stop and continued pouring mountains of Spirit Stones upon the empty ground. The empty grasnd soon filled with Spirit Stones all over the ce as the disciples'' eyes widened in shock at the sight of Shen Yuan''s wealth. "Wh-wh-what are you DOING!?" Ling Mei asked as she saw Shen Yuan wasting so many Spirit Stones. "I-I have not seen so many Spirit Stones in one ce in my entire life." "Even if Ibined all the Spirit Stones I have seen in my life, they wouldn''tpare to this sight." Shen Yuan had thrown out millions of Spirit Stones all over the ce. "Now we wait¡ª" RRAAAWWRR! Shen Yuan sharply turned his head to the other side as he saw a massive ck beast heading in his direction, "Looks like the Realm Guardian is here." The girls'' bodies shivered as they felt even breathing bing harder under the pressure of the monstrous beast. "Get back; this is not something you guys are supposed to face right now." Shen Yuan said as he took out his sword and tied it to his waist. The disciples hurriedly nodded as they ran in the opposite direction from where the beast wasing from. Shen Yuan nodded as he saw them getting away. "Hmm¡­ did you feel the disturbance in the Qi here, and that''s why you were awakened?" Shen Yuan softly muttered to himself while observing the beast the size of a mountain. As the beast came closer and the pressure increased, Shen Yuan felt something different in the beast''s aura. "FUCK! This beast has been infected by that Abyssal Qi as well?!" Shen Yuan''s eyes widened as he cursed loudly. His grip tightened on the sword as he remembered his beatdown. He took a deep breath, crouched down a little, and jumped above the sky. "Heaven and Earth Severance: Mountain Cleaving!" he shouted in rage and gathered his purified Qi to sh at the huge beast. The beast paused in its steps as it felt the Qi gathering above the sky. Its body shook as it felt a primal fear. Shen Yuan didn''t wait for anything as he shed down with his sword, releasing all the gathered Qi at once. The sky turned blue due to the enormous amount of Qi released. The disciples'' jaws dropped as they saw this scene in front of them. The pressure in the surroundings seemed suffocating to them as they finally had a glimpse of Shen Yuan''s true strength. "Is this Senior Brother''s real strength?" "It''s so¡­ overwhelming." "I don''t think any Inner disciple can handle him." ¡­ BOOOM!! The sh connected with the huge monster and hit him squarely in the chest. AUGHH H ! The beast roared in pain as the de of Qi pushed forward and started drawing blood, inching deeper into the skin of the beast every second. But not even a second passed before the sh cleanly sliced the being in half from the center. The massive body fell in different directions, ttening nearly the entire forest as it seemed as if a mountain had been ced where the forest used to be. Shen Yuan looked at this scene from high up as he fell to the ground. "Haa¡­ that was refreshing," he smiled in peace while continuing to fall downward. The cool breeze hit his face. "Hmm¡­nice time to try those things out. I can test them for the future as well." Chapter 185: Realm Heart He took out a pair of wings from his spatial ring and wore them to glide towards the ground. The disciples raised their heads to see Shen Yuan slowly floating towards them from high above the sky. "Senior Brother!!" The girls screamed as they saw himing closer. He soonnded in front of them and said with a smile, "Alright, I took care of the beast ahead, let''s wa¡ª" CRACK! BOOOM!! But before his words could finish, the space in front of them cracked as a glowing orb came out of it. Shen Yuan instantly turned his head around and took out a shield from his storage ring, blocking in front of the other disciples as he waited for the impact. But the awaited impact never came as he looked ahead to see the orb sucking all the excess Qi from the Spirit Stones in front of him. [Hurry up and capture it before it runs into a deeperyer of space again.] Yue Lan''s hurried voice echoed inside his head as Shen Yuan tried to think of various ways by which he could capture the Realm Heart. He put away the shield and took out the Mansion which Yuxin gifted to him before; he ced it where the Realm Heart was absorbing the Qi and then threw a few spatial rings filled with Spirit Stones inside the mansion. "Open!" he shouted as all the content of the spatial rings came out and filled the outer area of the Mansion. Shen Yuan held his breath as he waited for the Realm Heart to enter the mansion, as once he was sessful here, then the rest of the task would be much easier. Sweat dripped from Shen Yuan''s forehead as he waited, waited, and waited until the disciples behind him started questioning his method. Yet he didn''t give up and continued to patiently wait for the Realm Heart. And soon, the Realm Heart moved towards his mansion as Shen Yuan grinned and hurriedly entered the Mansion before the Realm Heart could enter. Once inside, he waited for the Realm Heart to enter while activating the formations. As soon as the Realm Heart entered the mansion, Shen Yuan activated the formations and locked down the entire space. The Realm Heart paused, as if assessing the surroundings before it violently shook. BUZZZZ Shen Yuan activated the formation as they channeled the Qi of the Spirit Stones ced inside of them. He didn''t stop there as he left the formations to work on their own and started heading towards the Realm Heart himself. The energy pulsing from the Realm Heart was enough to obliterate even mighty cultivators, but Shen Yuan used the formations to suppress the energy waves and soon reached in front of the Realm Heart. "BE OBEDIENT!" he shouted as he ced his hands on top of the glowing orb and started infusing his own Qi inside of it. The Realm Heart shook again as it released all of the Qi which Shen Yuan injected into it. But Shen Yuan didn''t give up as he continued to channel his Qi into the orb. "Let''s see who can hold out longer here." Both Shen Yuan and the Realm Heart got stuck in a battle of attrition as Shen Yuan continuously sent streams of Qi inside of it which the Realm Heart expelled at once. On the other side, the disciples got worried as they looked at the shaking space in front of the Mansion. "Will Senior Brother be fine inside all alone?" Zhao Lian asked with a worried voice. Wan Ling took a deep breath, "He will be absolutely fine, he is our Senior Brother after all." She confidently spoke, either trying to reassure the others or herself. While Ling Mei and the others continued to stare at the Mansion worriedly. The battle of attrition continued for some time until the white orb started turning azure from Shen Yuan''s relentless Qi infusion. "Good, now steadily," he muttered as he continued to send out a steady stream of Qi inside the orb. ''If I hadn''t separated the Realm Heart from the realm and it had the full support of the entire realm, then it would have been pretty much impossible for me to subjugate it like this.'' He thought to himself as he saw the orb nearly turning azure from his Qi infusion. But he didn''t ck off as he continued doing it. And soon, the Realm Heart became fully azure and calmly floated in front of him. Shen Yuan exhaled a sigh as he looked at the Realm Heart and smiled lightly. "Haaa¡­ with this, the main work is done. Now I just need to seal up the entire Mystique Realm and move it somewhere safe." He thought aloud as he stared at the Orb. As he moved to turn off the formations, his eyes fell on his surroundings, as his mind clicked and he eximed, "Fuck! Why did I not think of this?" "Hahaha, I can just ce the Mystique Realm inside one of the rooms of this mansion. There are already quite a few rooms filled with Mystique Realm, one more won''t make a difference." He started walking again towards the formations to close them. "Hmm, I should give them the honey while I''m at it, I can always get more from those fertilized eggs in the honeb." He spoke aloud as he closed all the formations running inside the mansion. He took out 9 empty storage rings and used his Qi to extract honey from the giant honeb and give each of them 5 portions of it. "Good, one portion is enough for one person, they can give the rest to their friends or families." He smiled as he pulled all the storage rings in his hand and began walking out of the mansion. As he stepped foot outside the mansion, the mansion began shrinking and Shen Yuan ced it back inside his dantian. The other disciples hurriedly ran towards Shen Yuan as they saw him walking out of the mansion. "Senior Brother!" Shen Yuan''s eyes twitched. ''Isn''t this shit getting too repetitive? When will they learn to get used to it and not scream every time they see meing back from somewhere?'' He shook his head and chuckled at his own thought; he nced back to see the Realm Heart still following behind him. "You guys can have these," Shen Yuan said as he felt the disciplesing closer. The group paused just as Shen Yuan waved his hand and threw nine spatial rings in their direction. Eachnding in front of them as they raised their hands to catch it. Wan Ling was distracted watching Shen Yuan as the ring lightly hit her head. "Hehehe~" The surrounding disciples giggled seeing it as Wan Ling hurriedly caught the ring. "Each one of you has been given 5 portions, while Zhao Lian has been given 10 portions. A single portion is enough for improving a single person''s constitution if they don''t have a special physique." Shen Yuan exined while turning around to look at the Realm Heart. Ling Mei, Chen Yue, and the others'' eyes lit up as they heard what Shen Yuan said. Chapter 186: Clashing with the Beast Again "Now, let''s send the others out first," Shen Yuan said as he manipted the Mystique Realm using the Realm Heart. The entire realm shook as the disciples looked at Shen Yuan in shock. "Se-Senior Brother, what are you doing?" Ling Mei asked as she looked around to see the space shaking. "Oh, this? It''s nothing. I''m just sending everyone on their way," Shen Yuan said as the orb turned invisible while still following behind him. "Let''s leave now. The Mystique Realm will close soon," he spoke while looking toward the horizon. Ling Mei and the others nodded their heads, as they had already gotten far more than they had expected on this trip to the Mystique Realm. Shen Yuan began sprinting through the forest first, and the others soon followed after. ''Good, they have be far stronger than when they first entered the Mystique Realm; they can keep up at this level of speed,'' he thought while observing the progress of the group. He increased his speed little by little to test their limits, and he soon found some of the weaker disciples who couldn''t keep up with him anymore. Shen Yuan slowed down as all the disciples caught up with him. But he didn''t stop, continuing to run at a slower pace. Soon, he found another beast wandering around the forest slowly. He raised his hand for the group to stop, making hand signs to inform them of the danger ahead as Ling Mei and the others tensed up. If it was something that could make even Shen Yuan wary¡ªwho had killed that gigantic monster in one sh¡ªthen they must be in grave danger. But as soon as their gazesnded on the danger in question, they felt cheated, as it was the same type as the very first beast they encountered inside the Mystique Realm. "Senior Brother, why are we stopping at this ce?" Chen Yue whispered softly, closing the distance between them. "Are you going to finish that monster off as well?" Ling Mei softly asked, trying not to startle the beast. "Heh, not me, but you guys." Shen Yuan smirked as he broke a small branch and continued, "Let''s see how much you guys have improved in this time." Wan Ling and the others took a deep breath as Ling Mei said, "Alright, we need to test that as well. Let''s make a strategy to tackle that beast." "Yes, we need to be organized, unlike thest time." "Wan Ling and Ling Mei should be on the offen¡ª" BAM! ROARR!! The sound of something exploding echoed through the surroundings as Shen Yuan''s voice followed, "No strategy is the best strategy sometimes." The disciples looked to where Shen Yuan had been standing, and, seeing that he was no longer there, they hurriedly turned their heads to look at the beast. Their eyes widened as they saw broken fragments of wood all over the ce while the beast was staring at them. "Umm... can we tell it we weren''t the ones who did that?" Chen Yue asked with a weak smile, looking at the beast''s scary face. "Ready yourselves, everyone!" Ling Mei shouted as she took out her sword and got into position to face the beast. The others took out their weapons as well, ready to fight the beast, which didn''t waste a single second. It sprinted toward them, roaring as it felt the pain from the wooden branch that Shen Yuan had thrown at it. ROARR! Ling Mei stood at the front, raising her sword above her chest to block the beast''s ws. BAM! The sword and ws struck each other as Ling Mei didn''t get pushed back this time from the attack. Wan Ling and the others felt excited to see this scene as their fighting spirits soared above the clouds. Chen Yue recited an incantation and enhanced her own weapon before attacking the beast from the side, drawing blood from the first strike. Wan Ling didn''t hold back as she used her light Qi-infused sword to sh at the waist of the beast. The other disciples also joined in on the fun; all the poor beast could do was whine in agony, which fell on deaf ears. Shen Yuan smiled proudly, seeing their progress. "Good, they have improved drastically during this period of time. If it continues like this, then each one of them can take on one beast alone." Soon, the beasty dead on the ground, its blood dyeing the ground ck as the disciples looked at each other in surprise. "Was this beast weaker than the one we fought before?" Wan Ling innocently asked. "No, you guys have be stronger." Shen Yuan appeared in front of the group and assured them of their current strength. The disciples turned their heads away from the corpse to see Shen Yuan standing behind Wan Ling. He patted her head and continued, "You guys have raised your strength so much that you haven''t realized yet. Your weakness was your offensive capabilities, and those are now fixed with the treasures and inheritances of this ce." Wan Ling turned around to see Shen Yuan smiling softly at her. "Senior Brother, do you think we can beat the disciples of Azure Sky Sect and Ironwood Mountain n?" Shen Yuan chuckled softly and shook his head, "You can defeat their average disciples easily, but you are still not at the level of their top inner disciples. You would need to learn the higher-level techniques of our Sect to win against them." The disciples nodded their heads as Chen Yue opened her mouth to speak, but Shen Yuan interrupted her, "No time to waste now, we need to head out since we have already tested your ability." Chen Yue closed her mouth and nodded as she and the rest of the disciples began running again towards the exit. Shen Yuan nodded his head and began following after them as he soon started leading them again towards the exit. ... Soon, they reached the exit of the Mystique Realm as they saw the Azure Sky Sect and Ironwood Mountain n''s disciples leaving in sorry states. The eyes of the Ironwood Mountain n members widened in horror as soon as they saw Shen Yuan. Shan Bo was being carried by two other disciples as he seemed unconscious still. Shen Yuan smirked seeing them as he took a step towards them, but the disciples of the Ironwood Mountain n got so scared with his one step that they hurriedly ran towards the exit, shoving aside the disciples of Azure Sky Sect who looked at this scene in confusion. "What is happening?" "Why are they running like that?" "They seem like they have seen a ghost or something." .... The Azure Sky Sect''s disciples murmured amongst themselves while looking at this scene. But they didn''te forward to question them, as they didn''t want to mess with Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect when they were about to leave. Shen Yuan stopped as he saw them hurriedly leaving, "Tsk, what cowards. I was not going to eat them alive; why are they running as if their life depends on it?" Chen Yue giggled softly, hearing that as she replied softly, "That''s because they don''t know whether you will keep them alive or kill them so the news of their young master being beaten to a pulp won''t spread around." Chapter 187: Exiting the Mystique Realm "But there are disciples of Azure Sky Sect here; I won''t kill them in front of them." Shen Yuan shook his head as he couldn''t understand why they were fearing him so much. "People be idiots when they face their fears, and from the looks of it, you have be their fear." Ling Meiughed while saying what was on her mind. "Let''s head out as well. Let''s see how the elders of Ironwood Mountain will react." Shen Yuan''s eyes shed with excitement as he thought about the uing conflict. The disciples nodded nervously, as they hadn''t experienced an event of such magnitude before. They waited for the disciples of the Azure Sky Sect to leave. As all of them left and only the leader of the team was left, he turned around and cupped his fist towards Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan smiled and nodded at him in acknowledgment as the disciples turned around and left. "Let''s go now," he said and led the others towards the exit with him. The other disciples followed after him as they nced back at the Mystique Realm from time to time. "How good it would be if we coulde back here," one of the younger disciples muttered in a low voice. "It''s not good to be greedy," Shen Yuan patiently said, "You guys have already got quite a bit of fortune here; try to digest itpletely before thinking of exploring the outside world again." The disciples nodded as they heard his words and thought back to everything he had done for them. As the disciples became lost in thought, they soon started leaving through the massive exit while Shen Yuan stood at the side. As thest of them left, Shen Yuan looked back at the Mystique Realm with a smile, "Truly, people shouldn''t be greedy for someone else''s treasures." Heughed as he pulled the Realm Heart in front of him, which was floating in the surroundings since the start. "Now, let''s pull the realm inside my mansion." Shen Yuan put both hands on top of the glowing orb and started giving it variousmands. The realm shook as all the beasts raised their heads to look at the sky turning dark. Shen Yuan took out his mansion as the Realm Heart entered inside one of the empty rooms and started pulling the entire realm with him. "Good, now it just needs a few more minutes toplete the extraction." He thought as hemanded the Realm Heart to close the portal while running towards the exit, leaving the mansion behind to pull in all of the Mystique Realm. He crossed through the portal and came to the outside world. The sun shone brightly above the sky, and the first thing he saw after exiting was the three powers standing opposite each other, the tension high as the elders stared at each other. "Hmm? What is happening here?" Shen Yuan asked in a light tone as he exited the Mystique Realm. Everyone''s eyes shifted as they stared at Shen Yuan intensely, especially the elder from Ironwood Mountain n. His eyes seemed to spit out fire as he saw Shen Yuan. But before he could say anything, another voice echoed from the side. "Shen Yuan, you are finally out." Yun Lan spoke as she seemed to visibly rx after seeing him. She motioned for him to join the group as she eyed the elder from Ironwood Mountain carefully. Shen Yuan nodded and started walking towards the group from Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect. But the Ironwood Mountain n''s elder didn''t want him to join the group as he shouted, "Wait a second!" His voice seemed to boil with anger as he pointed at Shen Yuan. "Why did you beat up our Young Master so viciously? Our alliances had an agreement about that." Shen Yuan paused, turning his head around to see the elder fuming. His lips curled up as he asked back, "Was there anything against fighting for treasures inside the Mystique Realm or hurting each other?" "..." The elder became speechless as there was indeed no such thing written inside the agreement. "The bottom line was to not kill each other inside the Mystique Realm, and that''s why I didn''t." His eyes turned cold while his voice dropped. "Otherwise, he would have been killed for what he did inside the Mystique Realm." The Ironwood Mountain n elder''s voice cracked, "Do you have no empathy, you little brat? You injured him so badly over a little disagreement?" Yun Lan''s eyes also sharpened as her voice echoed, "Ironwood Mountain n, don''t forget your ce. Even hundreds of you wouldn''t be enough to trouble my sect." The Ironwood Mountain n elder''s face turned red, but before he could explode, Shen Yuan added fuel to the fire, "It was his own fault for being so weak; he should have been stronger if he wanted toe and fight me." The Ironwood Mountain n elder''s face exploded in rage, "Shut up, you bastard! How dare you shame our Young Master even after attacking him!" Four other Ironwood Mountain n elders stepped forward, seeing the situation escting, but they didn''t try to calm him down and instead joined him in trying to suppress Shen Yuan and Yun Lan. Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow as he felt the pressure upon him increasing. At first, it didn''t affect him, but the pressure soon reached astounding heights, and Yun Lan and the other elder immediately came in front of Shen Yuan to protect him. Shen Yuan heaved a sigh of relief as the pressure upon him decreased substantially while Yun Lan''s gaze chilled, "What do you think you are doing? Do you guys want to die?" "Hand over that little bastard, and we will let you go," the leading elder of Ironwood Mountain n spoke, not intending to back down at all. Meanwhile, the group from Azure Sky Sect had already backed away to a safe distance to watch the show. "Do you think the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect will hand over Shen Yuan?" one of the disciples asked as he observed Shen Yuan and the others. "They might do that; after all, the sect is good at healing, not fighting. And Shen Yuan is only an outer disciple; I don''t think it''s worth it for them to offend Ironwood Mountain n over a mere outer sect disciple." Another disciple shared his thoughts, but before his words could even finish, an elder spoke. "Hmph! You guys know nothing about the Divine Tier Sects. If those were so easily intimidated by such low-level powers as Ironwood Mountain, then they wouldn''t deserve their position as a Divine Tier Sect." His words were sharp as he lectured the disciples. "That''s indeed true. Shen Yuan is not merely an outer sect disciple, but he is also a once-in-a-lifetime genius whopleted the trial of the Ancestral Pagoda. They would be morons if they let go of him." A female elder from behind the groupmented as she had a high evaluation of Shen Yuan. None of the other groups heard them as they were locked in a stalemate. Shen Yuan was about to say something when Yun Lan red up. Chapter 188: Ironwood Mountain Clans Misfortune "Who do you think you are to dare demand something from us?" Yun Lan said while staring at the elders of the Ironwood Mountain n. The Ironwood Mountain n elders increased the pressure on Yun Lan and the other elders while speaking, "We do not want to start a war with the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect over a minor outer sect disciple. Just hand him over." As the n elders continued to increase the pressure, all of a sudden, a massive outburst of Qi hit the elders. BOOM! They spurted out blood as they all fell to the ground, and a chilling voice echoed in the surroundings, "Let''s see who dares to touch even a single disciple of my sect. Looks like you guys have lived long enough." Xiang Mei descended from the clouds while staring at the elders of the Ironwood Mountain n. The lead elder tried to raise his head shakily as his gazended on Xiang Mei, "Se-senior Xiang Mei." His eyes widened in horror as he hurriedly rolled around and kneeled in front of her. "FORGIVE US, SENIOR!" he loudly begged as the other elders looked at him in confusion. "Why is he acting so meek in front of her?" one of the elders whispered, confusion clear in his voice. The lead elder hurriedly turned around and shouted, "What are you bastards doing? Come here and beg for mercy from senior!" "No need. If I don''t make an example out of you guys today, then the world will think there is no one in the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect left." Her voice remained chilly as the elders felt their hearts turning cold at her words. But before they could ask further, Xiang Mei shot out a beam of radiant light that disintegrated all of the elders except the lead elder. He shook in horror when he realized that everyone else was dead except him among the elders, "S-senior, wh-what have you done?" His voice cracked as he felt desperation settle within him. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected all of his fellow elders to die for merely exploring a Mystique Realm. "What have I done? Take it as you will. If you want to dere war on our sect, then our gates are always open for you." Xiang Mei continued with a prideful tone while showing utter disdain for the Ironwood Mountain Sect. Shen Yuan nodded his head in approval, as this was the type of stance he was hoping for the sect to have. If they showed weakness in this instance, then the sect would truly not be worth it for him to stay. The Ironwood Mountain n elder opened and closed his mouth as if wanting to speak something, yet no words came out. In the end, he lowered his head as he started thinking about what to report back to the n. Xiang Mei nced at the Azure Sky Sect group, who hurriedly bowed down to show respect to her. She merely nodded to them and walked toward her own sect. Yun Lan seemed to heave a sigh of relief as she saw Xiang Mei handling the situation, "I don''t know what I would have done without you." Yun Lan smiled in relief, and Xiang Mei patted her shoulder, "Hehe, don''t mind it. This was the reason I was sent here by the sect leader." She then turned her face to Shen Yuan, "And you did an excellent job inside the Mystique Realm; all the disciples have grown considerably stronger from the looks of it." Shen Yuan nced in the direction of the devastated Ironwood Mountain n before shaking his head, "They achieved this by their own power; I only paved the way for them." Xiang Mei smiled knowingly, "Let''s go back to the sect now." The rest of the disciples seemed to visibly rx as soon as they heard about returning home. Xiang Mei smiled softly, seeing them. "Yeah, let''s head back now. I think the sect will also give us rewards for our exceptional performance inside the Mystique Realm." Chen Yue excitedly spoke while looking at Shen Yuan. He nodded at her, "Let''s see if we will get anything or not. I want to take a good rest as well. We have been inside the Mystique Realm for weeks now." Xiang Mei waved her hand and took out a flying ship, "Board the ship now." Shen Yuan nced at the ship, ''Oh? Quite a good ship, though it''s worse than what Mom has for sure, heh.'' Xiang Mei''s eyes twitched as she turned her head towards Shen Yuan, who nced to the side as soon as her head turned. ''Hmm? Is it just me, or was he looking at me with... pity?'' Xiang Mei tilted her head in confusion, but she soon saw that most of them had already boarded the ship as she followed after Shen Yuan. ... Shen Yuan felt the cool breeze hitting his face as he stood at the top of the ship, ''Now, what should I do next?'' he wondered while gazing into the distance. [I forgot to remind you, but Bing Rong has finished her seclusion. She just isn''t out because there is no ce for her to get out.] Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up as he heard her words, ''Haha, it''s been long enough. I will meet up with her once we reach the sect again.'' [Do as you wish. Anyways, what will you do next? I don''t think the Outer Sect will have anything interesting left now for you.] Shen Yuan put aside the thought of meeting with Bing Rong for now as he contemted, ''I will take the test to enter the Inner Sect after chatting with Bing Rong, and I will join the same faction as Mother.'' Find your next adventure on m_v l|e-NovelBin [That''s all? That''s quite unlike you. I thought you would have thought of something grander than that.] Yue Lan curiously asked. ''Of course, that''s not it. I heard there are factions inside the Inner Sect for top disciples. I will make a faction of my own and use my resources to grow it into one of the strongest legions of this continent. I will start small from here.'' He replied to Yue Lan with passion, as a fire seemed to light up in his eyes while gazing at the clouds. [But why? Won''t they be pretty much useless since they will be much weaker than you and won''t be able to help you?] Yue Lan continued asking, as if testing how much thought he had given to his idea. Shen Yuan chuckled, ''Of course, they won''t be helpful to me directly, but they can help me with small tasks and major tasks where I can''t reach in time. For example, I can ask them to protect someone for me whom I can''t be there for forever. And there are many more such scenarios.'' [Good, looks like you have given it a lot of thought. Every invincible existence in the past had powerful legions to do their jobs for them. It was more of a show of power and status.] Yue Lan acknowledged his vision. If Shen Yuan himself hadn''t said it, she would have given him a Quest to do itter. Chapter 189: Back at the Sacred Lotus City "Let''s think about thister; I will n further about it when Momes out of seclusion," he said to her while examining his cultivation base. His eyes twitched as he felt it at the 7th level of Foundation Establishment Realm, "That Abyssal Qi really did a number on me, huh." [You can easily improve it again, don''t try to act as if you lost something dear to you.] Yue Lan interjected, unable to handle his act. Shen Yuan shook his head, "You don''t understand; it''s not about being able to cultivate again but that I lost to some random bastard inside the Mystique Realm. How will I face my big sisters and mother if they find out about it?" [They will be proud that you managed to win against someone even stronger than your Sect Leader, and you know this as well. Stop trying to act clueless. How will you even take care of that Mystique Realm now that you have it?] "Oh, good thing you reminded me. I took back the Mansion before leaving, but I don''t know what to do about that spatial crack either." He fell into deep thought as he said that. [You don''t really need to do anything; they won''t be able to leave the Mansion as they are much weaker than the Mansion. And now you are the ruler of the Realm after refining the Realm Heart, so you can heal that crack if you increase your cultivation base.] Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up as he considered this option, "This sounds good, then that''s one less problem for me to worry about." As he was about to continue talking, Wan Ling came up to his back and spoke softly, "Senior Brother?" Shen Yuan turned around to see her, "Ah, Wan Ling, do you need anything?" he asked with a slight smile on his face. Wan Ling''s face turned a little red as she replied, "It''s nothing, just wanted to check up on you. We are finally going back after such a long time. I didn''t even know if I could make it back alive in the past, yet here I am. I got so many opportunities because of you. I can''t thank you enough for that." Shen Yuan patted her head, "No need to thank me. You got all your opportunities with your own ability; I only led you to them." "I still want to thank you, because without you, all of us would have died hundreds of times over in the Mystique Realm." Wan Ling smiled softly as Shen Yuan patted her. "Alright then, I ept your thanks, haha." Shen Yuanughed and took a step back to look at her again, which made her blush, but before her thoughts could wander, he continued, "You seem to be on the verge of breaking through to the Inner Sea Realm. So, will you enter seclusion to break through after going back?" Wan Ling nodded her head seriously, "Yes, I will enter seclusion and take the Inner Disciples test after breaking through." "Good luck with that; I hope you pass it exceptionally." Shen Yuan smiled and encouraged her. "What about you, Senior Brother? Your strength is already far higher than most Inner Sea Realm cultivators I have seen. Will you take the test as well?" she asked, her face blossoming into a beautiful smile at his encouragement. "I will enter seclusion as well to break through to the next realm after going back and making a few preparations," Shen Yuan spoke a bit about his schedule. [I know what type of seclusion it will be.] Shen Yuan ignored Yue Lan''s teasing remark and continued to chat with Wan Ling for some time until the rest of the disciples came out, and they all began to chat. Shen Yuan smiled, seeing them as he thought about his n from before. Another n began to form in his mind as he tried to increase his influence among the disciples here. ... After quite a while, the disciples could see the outline of Sacred Lotus City, and they eximed, "We are back!" "Finally!!" "It seems like forever since we left." Discover more stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin ... Shen Yuan looked at the city as he remembered something; he went toward Xiang Mei and spoke, "Elder Xiang Mei, can you drop me off at the city? I need to get a few things from there." Xiang Mei furrowed her brows as she looked at Shen Yuan seriously, "Are they important?" "Very important." Shen Yuan nodded his head in all seriousness. Xiang Mei continued to stare at him for a few more seconds before releasing a sigh, "You already emptied the Outer Sect market, what else do you even want?" She shook her head and continued, "Alright, you can leave." Yun Lan''s eyes slightly widened in surprise as she took a step forward to interject, but Xiang Mei raised her hand to stop her in her ce. Shen Yuan looked at Yun Lan for a second before jumping off the ship after saying his farewells to Wan Ling, Ling Mei, Chen Yue, and the others. Yun Lan looked at the ce where Shen Yuan had been standing and asked Xiang Mei, "Senior Xiang Mei, you do know the Sect Leader will want to have a chat with Shen Yuan after such a sessful harvest inside the Mystique Realm." "Indeed, I do know that," Xiang Mei nodded in agreement, "But we can''t restrict him either. He will head to the sect after finishing his work anyway. And this gives us time to share the details with the Sect Leader and decide on appropriate rewards for Shen Yuan." Yun Lan paused as what Xiang Mei said made sense. She thought for some time more and then nodded, "I see, it seems I was too rash. Let''s go ahead and inform Sect Leader about what happened in the Mystique Realm and the deaths of the elders of Ironwood Mountain n." Xiang Mei''s gaze turned toward the nine disciples, "Well, they can share what happened inside the Mystique Realm, as from the looks of it, they were with him the entire time." The disciples looked at each other, wondering how much they should share. ... Shen Yuan was now in the forest outside of Sacred Lotus City. After making sure there was no one around and the ship had already left, he called out to Yue Lan. "Is she ready to leave the Dual Cultivation Chambers?" [Yep, she was just meditating while waiting for you. Let me call her out.] Shen Yuan''s heart raced with anticipation as a light soon started to materialize in front of him. It soon began to take the shape of a woman, and slowly, Bing Rong appeared in front of him. [Quite the dramatic entrance if I say so myself.] Yue Lan''s teasing words sounded between the two. Bing Rong shook her head slowly as she had gotten used to Yue Lan in the time she spent inside the Mystique Realm. She slowly walked toward Shen Yuan, who stared back at her with a bit of longing in his gaze. "I missed you," Bing Rong said as she wrapped her arms around Shen Yuan''s neck and gave him a deep hug. Chapter 190: Bing Rong Shen Yuan hugged her back as her familiar fragrance filled his senses, "I missed you too." They stayed still for some time, forgetting that the world even existed as they silently enjoyed the moment. Shen Yuan forgot all about his n and what he thought of doing after returning, as all he wanted to do now was to spend some time with her. After what felt like an eternity, Shen Yuan and Bing Rong separated as she looked at him intently, "You have grown much stronger than thest time I saw you. And something... seems to have changed?" She paused as she took a careful look at him, "Something seems different in you as well." Shen Yuan smiled, knowing she was talking about his new Physique, but he brushed it off and instead asked, "How was your seclusion? Any improvements or problems you encountered?" He took her hand as they began walking toward Sacred Lotus City. Bing Rong seemed to be in an exceptional mood as she happily answered, "It went well. I feel much stronger than before. All the imperfections that remained in my foundation have been fixed with that pill, and I safely changed my cultivation method as well." Shen Yuan nodded, as he had expected these results, "What about Mom? How long will she take to exit her seclusion as well?" Bing Rong smiled lightly, "Master will be out soon too; she''s nearly finished with her seclusion." Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up as heughed in excitement, "Hahaha, good, good! After such a long time, my family will be reunited." Bing Rong smiled sweetly, seeing him so excited for them. "Shall we explore the city a bit?" she asked softly. Shen Yuan calmed down, nodding his head in agreement as he extended his hand, "Let''s go. You can show me around since I couldn''t see much thest time I was here." Bing Rong asked curiously while gently holding his hand as they started walking forward, "So, have you already joined the sect? Or will you go through the Ancestral Pagoda now?" Shen Yuan tightened his hold on her hand, "Haha, you underestimate me too much. I finished the Ancestral Pagoda''s trial already and even became the owner of that tower." Bing Rong paused slightly, her eyes widening in surprise, "Wha¡ª you reallypleted that impossible trial?" "Heh, don''t you have even a little confidence in me?" Shen Yuan smirked at her. Bing Rong calmed down slightly as she shook her head, "It''s not that I don''t have any confidence in you, but it''s truly an impossible task. No one has been able to finish it since the foundation of the Sect." Shen Yuan nodded, "It''s understandable that you think that way. The test was really not something that can be passed by just anyone. Even I nearly sumbed at thest trial." "Hmm?" Bing Rong tilted her head, asking, "What was on thest level that made it so tough?" Shen Yuan answered her while walking slowly, "It was a test of the Dao Heart." That was all he said, as he didn''t want to divulge further than that about how much he went through. But Bing Rong understood the implications, as the Dao Heart was no joke. It was one of the most mysterious things in the world of cultivators. Low-level cultivators didn''t concern themselves with this, but the higher one walked the path of Dao, the more the importance of the Dao Heart became clear to them. She looked at Shen Yuan for a moment longer, "It''s good to have you back, Yuan''er," she softly whispered, looking at him. Shen Yuan smiled and didn''t bother to respond. He soon saw the outline of the city, "Well, what will you show me? Big Sis Huo Rong already showed me around the city before." Bing Rong''s face turned a little red in embarrassment, "Cough, the thing is..." she paused, as if she couldn''t continue from there, but when she looked at Shen Yuan''s curious gaze, she gathered her courage and spoke, "Most of the time, Huo Rong is the one who takes me around. I''m quite bad at interacting with other people." Shen Yuan''s eyes widened at her, "Hahaha," He let go of her hand as heughed out loud, "Hahaha, this is too funny, one of the Inner Elders of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect is bad at socializing, hahaha." Bing Rong''s face turned red to her ears as she turned her head to the side. Shen Yuan stopped after a while and held her hand again. "Let''s go to the sect then. The sect leader should be waiting to meet up with me as well. We''ll visit the city some other time." Shen Yuan said with a light chuckle, unable to stop himself fromughing. Bing Rong didn''t turn her head back but still nodded. Soon, they entered the city after paying the fees and headed toward the sect. "Have you made any new friends inside the sect, Yuan''er?" After a while, Bing Rong turned her head back to him and asked, "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about them, huh." Shen Yuan said with a smile. "I made two friends after entering the Outer Sect¡ª" Shen Yuan was about to continue when Bing Rong interrupted him. "Wait, Outer Sect? Shouldn''t you be a Core Disciple after passing that trial?" she asked in a questioning tone while staring at him, "Did those elders in the sect not give you your deserved position?" A chilling aura arose from her body as the surroundings started to freeze due to her sheer aura. Shen Yuan felt his eyebrow twitch as he saw her ring up. He softly patted her shoulder, "It''s not like that; it was my own decision." Bing Rong''s spreading aura paused as she looked at him, "Huh?" Shen Yuan shook his head, "I decided to start from the bottom to experience the sect for myself, to see whether it is worth my time or not, and I will enter the Inner Sect by taking the test this time after returning." Bing Rong calmed down, thinking for a second before shaking her head, "You had me worried for a second there. I really thought those old ghosts in the sect didn''t give you your rightful position because you''re male." Shen Yuan chuckled softly, "Anyways, I made two friends in the Outer Sect after that. One is named Wan Ling, and the other is Ling Yue, who is an Inner Sect disciple, but I met her after breaking the records in the Pagoda." Bing Rong nodded, "Those Pagoda trials should be quite easy for you after clearing that Ancestral Pagoda. Anything else interesting happen?" Shen Yuan nodded, "The sect found a Mystique Realm outside as well, where the upper limit was Inner Sea Realm. So a lot of Outer Sect disciples and two Inner Sect disciples went inside to explore, and I was among them." "Hmm? How were your gains in the Mystique Realm then?" Bing Rong followed up with another question. "I got another cultivation technique, and it seems to be quite a high-tiered one as well." Shen Yuan replied while thinking of something. "Cultivation Technique? What will you do with that?" Bing Rong asked as she couldn''t understand what he would do with that since he already had one and a higher tier one at that. "I can gift it to someone who I deem worthy of it, and it''s not only a cultivation technique but also a cksmithing manual. I can give it a tryter when I have some time," Shen Yuan casually glossed over the details of his new physique, as they were matters that neither affected his partners directly nor could they assist him with. Therefore, he considered it unnecessary to share those details at the moment. Bing Rong nodded and didn''t pursue this matter. Instead, she inquired, "Anything else you found out there? Or some interesting event that I''m not aware of?" Shen Yuan thought of the Abyssal Monster, his hand twitched as he remembered how that Abyssal Being beat him up. "Yes, but I will talk about this matter when Momes out of seclusion. Might as well discuss it together since there is no point in doing it now when it has already passed." Bing Rong''s expression turned notably serious, and she halted in her tracks, asking with genuine concern, "Is the matter truly serious enough to involve Master?" Shen Yuan gently pulled her closer as he breathed in her fragrance. "The problem is already solved; all we can do now is to wait for Mom toe out of seclusion and discuss it at that time. I don''t want to make you guys anxious for no reason, but the matter is truly solved." Bing Rong listened intently, eventually calming down as she nodded her head. The two stood in silence for some time. "Oh, I nearly forgot to tell you, but Elder Xiang Mei also killed a few elders from the Ironwood Mountain n," Shen Yuan suddenly remembered and mentioned. Chapter 191: Entering the Sect Bing Rong raised her head in visible confusion, "Why would she do tha¡ª" But before she could finish asking her question, Shen Yuan responded, "They were demanding that I be handed over to them because I had hurt their young master quite badly. So, Elder Xiang Mei decided to teach them a little lesson." Bing Rong''s eyes turned icy as she processed what the Ironwood Mountain n had asked for. "They deserved death. Elder Xiang Mei was absolutely right in her actions," she replied coldly. Shen Yuan''s eyes twitched as he thought to himself, ''Is it just me, or has she be even colder toward those who are unrted to her? She really seems to be turning more and more like a yandere.'' "Ahem, never mind them. Elder Xiang Mei already taught them a lesson. I bought quite a lot of good stuff from the Mystique Realm. Let''s get to the sect sooner so I can show it to you," Shen Yuan changed the topic as he pulled her hand to walk again. Bing Rong nodded her head nkly as she followed after him. After a while of silence again, she asked him, "Yuan''er, tell me about what you experienced inside the Mystique Realm, and what do you think about the disciples of our sect." Shen Yuan smiled and nodded, "Sure, there were a total of 10 disciples chosen to go inside the Mystique Realm from each sect..." Shen Yuan and Bing continued to chat as they walked through the empty streets of the city since they were in a deste area. Shen Yuan had chosen this route as he knew Bing Rong might have mood swings while listening to his experiences. ... Soon, they came in front of the gates of the Sect. "And here we are," Shen Yuan said energetically as he looked inside to see two outer sect disciples standing guard. "Let''s go. I think someone wille to invite you to meet up with the Sect Leader soon after our arrival," Bing Rong said as she walked toward the gate of the sect. Explore more stories at mvl Shen Yuan followed after her as they both soon approached the disciples. Two outer sect disciples were on duty today as they looked at Bing Rong vigntly, but their eyes soon lit up as they saw Shen Yuan, "Greetings, Senior Brother Shen Yuan!" They both shouted in unison, which made Shen Yuan chuckle softly as he realized they didn''t recognize who Bing Rong was. Shen Yuan came forward a bit and said, "Morning, Junior Sisters, here," as he took out his disciple badge, as was the standard procedure to gain entry to the sect. The disciples smiled as they realized the rumors were true; Shen Yuan was indeed an approachable disciple who didn''t put on airs in front of his juniors. "There is no need for this, Senior Brother," one of the guarding disciples said, yet she nced at the badge multiple times to confirm its authenticity. Shen Yuanughed and put the badge back in his storage ring, "Until we meet again then," he said as he began leaving with Bing Rong. "Who was that with Senior Brother Shen Yuan?" one of them asked the other curiously. "Probably his Dao Partner; didn''t you see how beautiful she is?" "True, true. She looks like a fairy." ... "Why did the disciples not recognize you?" Shen Yuan curiously inquired while walking along the stone pathway toward a spatial portal. Bing Rong''s eyes twitched as she remembered how none of the guarding disciples recognized her, "Because they are new disciples, and I have not been in the sect for years now. And Inner Elders don''t interact with Outer Disciples much as well." "You made up thest reason or is that true?" Shen Yuan chuckled softly as he asked back. "How many Inner Elders have you even met since arriving in the sect? I bet not more than one or two." Bing Rong confidently asked, as she was sure about that since most Inner Elders don''t even enter the Outer Sect. "Hmm let''s see... I encountered one while going through the Ancestral Pagoda test, then I met the Sect Leader, then a few elders while going to the Mystique Realm... I think I have encountered like five or six Inner Elders by now," Shen Yuan counted and replied to her. Bing Rong paused in her steps as she looked at him, "You really met up with a lot of elders during this time, huh? Well, it''s not surprising since the one we are talking about is you." "Haha, you tter me." Shen Yuanughed and shrugged it off. "Should we head to mark¡ª" he continued to ask her, but before he could finish, a gentle gust of wind blew as a woman descended from high up in the air. "Disciple Shen Yuan, the Sect Leader has requested your presence on the Radiant Heart Pe¡ª" she spoke after slowlynding in front of the two, but her words stopped as she nced at Bing Rong. Her eyes slightly widened in surprise, "Oh my, Bing Rong, I didn''t know you wereing here as well. You even brought Shen Yuan with you; good, good, my younger sister is finally being useful." Her eyes widened in surprise as she eximed, "Oh my, Bing Rong, I didn''t know you were back as well." She stepped toward Bing Rong and continued, "I had a feeling you would return soon since Huo Rong came back some time ago." "Yes, and I won''t leave the sect for a long time now. Master will be back soon as well, after all," Bing Rong replied in her usual cold tone. "Ah, how cold of you to treat me like this, Bing Rong. Anyways, what is your rtionship with Shen Yuan? I heard rumors that Huo Rong was with him as well when he entered the sect, and now even you." "He is my little brother, and the adopted son of our Master. Is that enough for you, Lan Rui?" Bing Rong looked at her straight in the eyes while asking. Lan Rui turned her gaze to look at Shen Yuan. She stared at him for a bit, while Shen Yuan waved his hand in a casual greeting. "I see, so he''s the son of Senior Shen Yuxin. No wonder he''s so talented despite not belonging to any sect before this," Lan Rui repeatedly nodded her head. "If I didn''t know better about the Ancestral Pagoda, I would have thought he entered the sect through his connections," she remarked casually, attempting to pry something out of Shen Yuan. He only gave her a calm smile, as if the topic being discussed was not about him but somethingpletely unrted. Bing Rong felt her eyes twitching at her remark as she grabbed Shen Yuan''s hand, saying, "Let''s go and meet up with the Sect Leader first; we can discuss other thingster." Bing Rong moved forward, gently shoving Lan Rui aside. "Don''t forget to meet up with meter when you have free time!" Lan Rui turned around and shouted at Bing Rong, softly giggling. Shen Yuan looked at the elder first before ncing back at Bing Rong, his eyes shing with amusement as he asked her, "Who was she? She seems to be on good terms with you." Chapter 192: Mei Hua Bing Rong didn''t stop walking as she replied, "She is one of the Inner Sect elders here, her cultivation is a lot higher than mine since she became an Inner Sect Elder a long time ago, while I only became an Inner Sect elder in recent years." Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, "Oh? But she seemed to be treating you quite nicely despite being much higher in rank. Any special reason for that?" Bing Rong nodded her head slowly, "Yes, it''s because of Master. She is one of the strongest members of the sect. So, as her disciples, me and Huo Rong get special treatment wherever we go." She paused slightly as she thought back to Lan Rui, "But she is like a friend to me, since we have spent quite a significant time together when I was a disciple and she used to teach us in the Outer Sect sometimes." Shen Yuan nodded his head in understanding, "So, is she a mentor-like figure to you?" Bing Rong shook her head, "She is more like our Big Sister than a mentor." They soon reached the Spatial Portals while chatting with each other. Shen Yuan looked at the portal and could feel the spatial intent much more clearly than before, his perception seemed to have been improved drastically. ''Hmm? Is it due to my experience in the Mystique Realm?'' He mulled over it as Bing Rong took out her identity token, which made the disciples'' eyes widen as they hurriedly bowed. "Greetings, Elder!" all the disciples there greeted her respectfully. Bing Rong nodded her head in contentment when she saw how they all greeted her. She stole a nce at Shen Yuan, but only to end up being disappointed as Shen Yuan seemed to be lost in thought. She got rid of useless thoughts and moved towards the portal leading deeper inside the Sect. Shen Yuan continued to feel the Spatial element in the portal, and he felt himself so close to mastering the Intent as soon as he stepped in the portal. He closed his eyes to feel it with his body, but the next instant, he opened his eyes to see that he had already teleported to another location, the feeling ofprehending faded away from him as well. ''It seems as if I''m missing something, and the Space Intent is being restricted here as well. I will need a space-rted cultivation manual if I want toprehend that anytime soon,'' he thought while ncing back at the portal, where the disciples were bowing towards Bing Rong out of respect. But Bing Rong didn''t care about it this time as she started walking towards a different portal after leaving it. Shen Yuan followed after her as Yue Lan''s voice echoed in his mind. [You should first practice the new cultivation technique that you acquired in the Mystique Realm. You should be able to learn the Fire Intent with the help of that technique at least.] Shen Yuan replied to her in agreement, ''You are right, but I can''t miss out on Space Intent. Space is one of the strongest elements in all of the novels that I have read up until now, can''t miss out on such top-tier stuff.'' [Sometimes I forget that you used to live on Earth, there were those novels as well. Well, if nothing else, you mortals had quite the vivid imagination, but I feel like the Great Dao had some effect there; otherwise, no way you mortals cane up with so many different and interesting ideas.] Shen Yuan smiled to himself as he responded, ''That''s the charm of being a mortal; they might only live for an instant but they shine the brightest in that single instant.'' Yue Lan became silent as she also agreed with his words, the more time someone has in one''s hand, thezier they be. Bing Rong remained silent throughout the conversation as she knew he might be talking with Yue Lan, she silently guided him through one portal to another. And Shen Yuan continued to feel the wonders of Space Intent, yet he remained unable to master it. He finally came out of his trance-like state to see Bing Rong staring at him; she gently asked in her usual cold voice, "Are you alright?" Shen Yuan stood up straight as he responded with a smile, "Yes, you don''t need to worry about me, I was just trying to learn something new, but it seems like that will have to wait until I can get my hands on something." Discover exclusive tales on mvl "Oh?" Bing Rong raised an eyebrow in curiosity as she inquired, "What is it that you are looking for? Maybe I can find it for you." Shen Yuan shook his head as he already had a ce in mind to find a Space-Rted Cultivation Manual, so he instead responded, "Let''s hurry up, Sect Leader must be waiting for us. It is not good for us to make her wait when an Inner Sect Elder came to invite me over some time ago." Bing Rong nodded her head as she looked at the final Spatial Gate, which connects to the Radiant Heart Peak directly. They both started walking again as they passed through the portal toe in front of that huge hall again. "Looks like we are on time," Shen Yuan said as he nced around but found no one to be standing guard there like usual. "They might be inside, let''s go," Bing Rong said as she came in front of the hall and took out her badge tomunicate with Sect Leader Mei Hua. Shen Yuan waited for a few seconds for Bing Rong to get a response as the gate soon opened. Bing Rong looked back at Shen Yuan before motioning at him to follow her inside the Sect Leader Hall. Shen Yuan nodded his head and followed her inside as they both soon came in front of ake. The familiar view reminded Shen Yuan of the first time he came here. He took a deep breath as he felt the peaceful aura of the surroundings engulf him as well, calming his nerves as he felt like sleeping on the green grass. "Wee back, Shen Yuan." A voice echoed from the shore of theke as Shen Yuan turned his face to see Mei Hua soaking her feet in theke while gazing in his direction. "Oh, Little Bing, you are back as well. Good, Little Huo already told me about youing back soon, so it''s a nice surprise that you both came together." Mei Hua looked at Bing Rong for a second, finding something weird about her, "You seem to have... changed?" Her voice filled with confusion as she couldn''t pinpoint what changes she felt from her, but she was sure that something seemed to have changed within Bing Rong. Bing Rong felt her heart skip a beat at the sharp eyes of the sect leader. She replied, trying to be calm about it, "I found an opportunity outside the sect to re-refine my cultivation foundation, so I have improved significantly over this period of time. Maybe that''s what you have found out." Shen Yuan stifled hisughter at her poor excuse. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 193: Competetion Bing Rong slightly turned her head to see him; Shen Yuan stopped hisugh and nodded his head seriously at her to continue. Bing Rong looked back at Mei Hua and continued, "And I won''t be leaving the Sect again for the foreseeable future since my younger brother is here now." Mei Hua looked at her in amusement as her poor lie couldn''t escape her keen eyes, but she didn''t mind that and instead spoke, "Good, you and Huo Rong can now handle the work that Senior Shen Yuxin left together, but even if she were here, she would have put the work on you both, haha." She giggled at the end of her words as she remembered how Shen Yuxin left all the work to her disciples and roamed the outside world. Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow as he heard Mei Hua referring to his mother as her Senior; his mind wandered for a brief second as his thoughts shifted to the implications. But he soon shook his head as he knew it was pointless to think about it for now. He nced around to see Ling Mei, Wan Ling, and the rest of the disciples gathered together. Xiang Mei, Yun Lan, and a few other elders were here as well. Xiang Mei stood in front of them as she waved her hand towards Shen Yuan, "You are finally here; I thought you would take forever to get here." Shen Yuan smiled lightly in response as he said, "I would havee straight here but I ended up meeting with Big Sister in the market. So we were catching up." "Hmm, I didn''t know that you were the younger brother of Bing Rong and Huo Rong, that''s a surprise. No wonder you are so talented," Xiang Mei nodded her head as she thoughtfully said. Shen Yuanughed as he took thepliment, "Thanks for thepliment, but why was I summoned here?" He got to the main matter as he still wanted to spend more time with Bing Rong. "Cough, it was due to your exceptional performance in the Mystique Realm. I didn''t know that you would dominate it so quickly. It was truly a surprise for me," Mei Hua took over the conversation as she moved her feet in theke water while sitting on the stone. "It was easy because they were all far too weak." Shen Yuan might have beencent before going to the Mystique Realm, but after encountering that Abyssal Entity, he got to know that the world is muchrger than he knew. Bing Rong moved aside to let him chat with Mei Hua freely as she moved towards the other elders to catch up with them. Shen Yuan moved a little forward as he saw small fish swimming around Mei Hua''s legs. "So, what do you think of the Mystique Realm?" Mei Hua lightly asked as all the others distanced themselves from the two. "Hmm, it was worthwhile to go inside the Mystique Realm for me; I got quite some good stuff from there," he said as he brought out a jar of honey from his spatial ring. "Here, you can try this honey I got from the Mystique Realm. It wouldn''t have any effect on you, but at least it tastes good," he said as he threw the jar towards her. Mei Hua raised her hand slightly, and a gust of wind rose up which held the jar up. She lightly smiled at him as she dipped her finger in the honey and brought it closer to her mouth. Shen Yuan stared at her, wondering whether she would like it or not. Mei Hua licked the honey on her finger slowly as she felt Shen Yuan''s gaze on her; her lips curled up in a mischievous smile as she brought her tongue out and started to lick her finger all over to clear up the honey. Shen Yuan''s eyes twitched as he saw her licking her own finger seductively. He turned his gaze away as it proved too much for him to bear. Mei Hua giggled softly as she put the jar in her spatial ring and said, "The honey is really delicious, I won''t stand on ceremony and will take it." Shen Yuan heaved a sigh as he turned his head back at her. "So, was there any other reason that you invited me here or just to ask about the Mystique Realm?" Mei Hua''s expression turned serious as she nodded her head, "There is indeed another much more important matter to be discussed here. You know about the Ironwood Mountain Sect, right?" Shen Yuan thought back to how Elder Xiang Mei destroyed nearly the entire group of them outside the Mystique Realm. "Yes, I remember what happened outside the Mystique Realm. Do you want to tell me how the sect is going to handle that n?" Mei Hua nodded her head, "We will issue a formal challenge one monthter where our Inner Sect disciples will participate in a battle against each other." Shen Yuan nodded his head thoughtfully as he agreed with this approach, "Sounds good to me, both our Sect and n can have the younger generation resolve these grievances. And I don''t think we will lose to them either way; our Inner Sect disciples have a lot more techniques than the outer sect disciples, as well as real-life experience." Mei Hua smiled appreciatively as she didn''t expect Shen Yuan to see through these aspects, "Yes, you are indeed correct, but that''s not what I''m worried about." "Hmm? Then what are you wo¡ª" He paused as he thought of something. "Ah, I see, you are worried about the power backing them sending their own disciples to confront us, and since we are on the same level, our disciples will be at a disadvantage due to the nature of our cultivation techniques." Mei Hua''s eyes widened slightly in surprise this time, "I didn''t think that you would be this smart, not even the Core Disciples can get to the core of the issue as fast as you." Shen Yuan shook his head, "So anyways, what do you have in mind to counter that?" Mei Hua silently looked at him, smiling slightly, "Well, guess it as well since you are so smart." Shen Yuan''s lips twitched as he spoke, "Wait, is this the reason you invited me here? To get me involved in this mess?" "What mess are you talking about? It was created due to you in the first ce, and we are not forcing you; you can refuse if you want. The Ironwood Mountain n is not enough to force our disciples to do something against their wishes," Mei Hua slowly exined while gazing at theke. Shen Yuan thought for a second, ''Will I have enough time to spend with Big Sisters if I get involved in the tournament?'' Just as he was contemting it, a notification came up on the System Screen. He raised an eyebrow as he saw it was from the Harem Connect and Bing Rong was trying to connect with him. [Yuan''er, you should take part in the tournament, it is a prime opportunity for you to make a solid foundation inside the Inner Sect quickly, and we can apany you for the tournament as well if we get free from the work.] Bing Rong''s words sounded in his mind as Shen Yuan nodded thoughtfully. "I will take part in this tournament, let''s see what they have to offer in their n," he said while looking at Mei Hua. And she only smiled in response as she had expected this response, after all, he was doing his best in the outer sect to gather a good reputation, and this was a prime time for that. "Good, then you can talk with the rest of the disciples, I have one more thing to announce, but that can wait until you catch up with them and I discuss that with the rest of the elders," Mei Hua said as she took her legs out of theke and stood up. Shen Yuan nodded and started to walk towards the group of disciples. Bing Rong took her leave from the group of elders as she moved towards Shen Yuan to meet up with the rest of the disciples who went with him inside the Mystique Realm. "Greetings, Senior Brother." Chen Yue and the others greeted him after seeing hime close. Shen Yuan nodded with a smile as he epted their greetings, "You guys got anything from the sect yet?" Wan Ling came forward as she shook her head, "Nothing yet, we all were waiting for you to arrive. The elders said they have something to announce but we need to wait until you arrive here." Shen Yuan nodded his head as he looked at the side where Bing Rong wasing from. The disciples hurriedly greeted her as they heard just a while ago that she is an Inner Sect Elder. "Greetings, Elder Bing Rong!" Chapter 194: Bing Rong Bing Rong nodded her head with a smile as she looked at each one of them to assess them until her eyes rested on Wan Ling. "Are you Wan Ling? Shen Yuan told me how you helped him out when he first joined the Outer Sect. Thank you for that," Bing Rong asked in her usual cold tone. Surprisingly, this didn''t make Wan Ling nervous or scared as she looked at her with timid eyes and replied, "Yes... I met up with Senior Brother Shen Yuan in the training grounds after a few days of him entering the Outer Sect." Bing Rong nodded her head as she moved her gaze away from her and started observing the other disciples. Shen Yuan shook his head and patted her shoulder, "You are scaring them," he chuckled softly, seeing the disciples looking down nervously. Bing Rong tilted her head as she asked Shen Yuan, "Why would I scare them? Do I look that heinous to them?" Shen Yuan looked at her for a second, wondering what was going on in her mind as he looked at the disciples, "You guys don''t need to be nervous, she might seem cold but she is a very kind soul. Now, let''s talk about your gains, did any of you encounter any problems with the things you acquired inside the Mystique Realm?" The disciples heaved a sigh as Shen Yuan changed the topic, they started to talk about themselves one by one, including Bing Rong in their topic as well since some curious disciples asked more about their rtionship. Shen Yuan chuckled and replied to them one by one. ... "Alright, everyone." Xiang Mei''s voice echoed from the side as the elders stood neatly in a row behind Mei Hua while Xiang Mei stepped forward to gather the disciples. "Come here, we have something to announce." Shen Yuan paused as he looked towards the gathered Elders. Bing Rong patted his shoulder softly and started to walk forward. Shen Yuan looked at the elders curiously and followed after as well, the other disciples looked at each other and headed forward. Soon, all of them stood in front of the group of elders as they looked at them with serious expressions. Bing Rong moved and joined the group of elders as well while Shen Yuan stood at the front of the group of disciples. Mei Hua nodded her head as she walked forward and stood in front of even Xiang Mei. She began, "Don''t be so serious, the thing that we want to announce is the rewards for this current achievement that you all have inside the Mystique Realm." The disciples'' eyes lit up as they heaved a sigh, then their excitement surged as they looked forward to their rewards. "First of all, you all will be promoted to the level of Inner Disciples as soon as you manage to break through to the Inner Sea realm without any further trial," Mei Hua said with a smile, looking at the disciples'' reaction. But the disciples didn''t react much as even without this offer they were confident in passing the disciples'' exam with their current arsenal of abilities. Shen Yuan chuckled softly as he saw Mei Hua looking at them all slowly, one by one, but not seeing much of a reaction, she continued with a small smile. "Well, looks like you guys are not satisfied with the first reward, well you will definitely be surprised with the next." She paused as she edged the disciples with a dramatic pause. "It is the opportunity to select one treasure from the Treasure Pavilion in the Outer Sect, while due to his exceptional performance, Shen Yuan can select up to 3 treasures, or 1 treasure from the Inner Sect Treasure Pavilion. And needless to say, the treasures in the Inner Sect are much better and higher quality." She looked at the disciples with a smile. And as expected, the disciples'' eyes lit up with excitement at the current rewards; they didn''t expect the sect to be so generous. And they weren''t jealous of Shen Yuan as well, they knew that without him, some of them might have even died. And they had already told the elders about the events that transpired inside the Sect; that was the reason why Mei Hua decided to teach the Ironwood Mountain n a lesson. Shen Yuan smiled lightly at the mentioned rewards, ''Hmm, will I get something useful in the Treasure Pavilions?'' He thought for a second as Mei Hua continued, "I''m not finished yet, all of you can request the cksmiths of our Sect to make custom weapons for you, and they will be 2 grades higher than your cultivation so you can use them for a long time toe. And for Shen Yuan, he can choose a weapon of his choice from the Inner Sect Treasure or request one from the cksmiths like the rest of the disciples." The disciples looked at Mei Hua with shining eyes; they couldn''t believe the sect was being so generous with them for the Mystique Realm. But Shen Yuan didn''t think much of the reward as he already had all the weapons that he needed with him. But his mind wandered for another option which he can use to gain something out of this encounter. But Mei Hua interrupted his thoughts as her voice echoed, "And to finish it off, Wan Ling, Ling Mei, Chen Yue, and Zhao Lian will receive a special reward for their exceptional performance as reported by the other disciples." Shen Yuan raised his head as he nced back to see the four of them, who were nearly jumping with joy. He shook his head as he looked at Mei Hua to know what this special reward was. "You guys will surely like this reward," she paused as she increased the suspense slowly. The other disciples looked at her curiously as well; they wanted to know what this reward was even if they weren''t the ones getting it. Mei Hua giggled softly seeing them all hyped up, she soon continued, "It is the opportunity to choose one of the Inner Sect Elders to be your master. Yes, you can select one of the Inner Sect Elders to be your master on your own will." She repeated herself so the disciples can understand the gravity of her words. And the disciples indeed understood the implications as their eyes widened in disbelief; they had never heard of such rich rewards being distributed in the sect, but that was in part due to them being young. Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow as even he didn''t expect the sect to be so generous this time, but he looked at Mei Hua questioningly, as if going to ask something. And Mei Hua captured his stare and smiled before saying, "I know you disciples must be wondering why those four got those rewards but not Shen Yuan. And to answer that, it is because I had a talk with Huo Rong, his big sister." She paused as she looked at the confused eyes of the disciples who were wondering what was happening, she continued with a shake of her head, "She told me that he already has a master and she is also an elder of our sect. So she will be Shen Yuan''s master once she is back." Chapter 195: Rewards The disciples looked at each other in surprise, wondering who this elder was who could raise such a monstrous disciple all on her own. Shen Yuan looked at her in surprise, but he nodded his head in understanding as it was understandable that she woulde up with such an excuse when she already knew that he was the son of Shen Yuxin. Mei Hua changed the topic as she didn''t want to discuss about Shen Yuxin right now, "So disciples, who will you choose as your master?" She lightly asked them, wondering who they would choose as she looked at her back to the elders gathered. Who all stood straight to look more elegant and majestic for the disciples. Wan Ling and the others looked at each other, their eyes firm with resolve as from the looks of it, they had already decided on their choice. Mei Hua nodded her head and said, "Alright, let''s start with Wan Ling. Come forward and tell us which elder you want your master to be." Everyone focused their eyes on Wan Ling as she took a deep breath, her steps firm as she took a couple of steps forward. Shen Yuan nodded at her with a smile to encourage her, Wan Ling nodded back as thanks before turning toward Mei Hua and greeting her with a light bow. "Thank you for the generous awards, Sect Leader." She stood straight as her eyes roamed over all the elders gathered here. The disciples felt their breath stopping in anticipation, the elders also looked at her curiously. She finally rested eyes on one individual, before taking a deep breath and asking, "May I have the honor of being your disciple, Elder Bing Rong?" The disciples widened their eyes as they didn''t expect her to go for such a young elder, they thought she would choose one of the more older and experienced elders among them. The elders, likewise thought the same as this choice was truly unexpected for them. But Shen Yuan chuckled softly, ''Well, at least she knows what is best for her.'' Bing Rong looked at Wan Ling with surprise, she didn''t expect that someone would choose her, not with her icy personality. She looked towards Shen Yuan for advice, hesitating to ept someone as her disciple if Shen Yuan held them in high regard. Shen Yuan nodded his head with a smile and messaged her through Harem Connect, [Do as you wish, no need to consider it from my perspective. It won''t affect my ns for the future either way.] Bing Rong looked at him in surprise, as he had yet to tell her what those future ns were. But nheless, she agreed internally before speaking, "Very well. I formally ept Wan Ling as my first disciple." The other elders'' eyes widened as they didn''t think she would ept Wan Ling as her first disciple. As it was a special position that not just anyone could take inside the sect. There were many trials and tribtions set up by the master before a person could be their first disciple. And Wan Ling also widened her eyes as she didn''t expect this result. But she soon beamed into a happy smile as she kowtowed in front of Bing Rong. "Disciple greets Master," she said energetically, forgetting all her shyness and nervousness from before. Bing Rong came forward and picked her up as she sent her a message using her Divine Sense, "No need to kowtow to me in the future, just a bow will be enough." Wan Ling looked at her in surprise but nodded her head, she stood up and stood behind her. Bing Rong nodded her head at Mei Hua to continue the process. "Well, it was a surprising choice but since Wan Ling has decided on one of the elders, now it''s your chance, step forward, Chen Yue." Mei Hua continued as she was curious about what the rest of the disciples would choose. Chen Yue slowly stepped forward, looking at Shen Yuan with a smile. Shen Yuan''s lips twitched as he had a feeling he knew who she might choose. She stood in front of the elders, but didn''t look at them as she turned to Mei Hua and gave her a respectful bow first, "Greetings, Sect Leader." Mei Hua nodded her head as Chen Yue stood straight and asked, "Do we have to choose from the elders gathered here or can we select any of the other Inner Elders who are not present here?" Mei Hua raised an eyebrow at her question, her lips curling upward in amusement as she said, "No, you can choose from the other elders as well, as long as they are Inner Sect Elders and not the Core Elders or higher." Chen Yue nodded her head, "Thanks for rifying that, Sect Leader." The rest of the elders looked at her curiously, as they knew she had someone else in mind when she asked this question, but the question was, who was this elder? Chen Yue took a deep breath before saying, "Then I would like to be the disciple of Elder Huo Rong." Shen Yuan''s eyebrow twitched as what he had expected came true. Yet he felt good as this was good for his future n. Mei Hua raised an eyebrow as she looked at Shen Yuan first, she spoke with a soft smile, "Looks like your family will gobble up all the disciples this time." Shen Yuan chuckled softly and denied the ims, "You surely jest, Sect Leader. How can our small and weak family even hope to achieve something like that? There are not that many people in our family." "But they seem to be increasing now," Mei Hua remarked with a smile. While the other elders felt like cursing, ''If your family is weak then we all are trash.'' That''s what most of them were thinking, yet none spoke it out loud as they turned their heads away to not curse Shen Yuan in the face. "Elder Yun Lan," Mei Hua addressed one of the elders. Who took a step forward and asked, "Yes, Sect Leader." "Invite Elder Huo Rong here. Tell her that the Sect Leader has something important to discuss with her," Mei Hua ordered as she turned around to look at Yun Lan. Yun Lan nodded her head and took out her Identity badge before utilizing the formations engraved on it to send a message to Huo Rong. Huo Rong''s reply soon came in as her voice echoed in the hall, "Ehhh?? Sect Leader is asking for me? But I''m at the other corner of the sect for some work. It will take me some time to get there." Yun Lan released a helpless sigh and looked at Mei Hua for further instructions. Mei Hua shook her head as she massaged her temples, "These troublesome brats." Shen Yuan chuckled as he heard how Mei Hua was addressing Huo Rong. But in the next second, Mei Hua unleashed a monstrous amount of energy, prompting the elders to step forward, shielding the disciples from the overwhelming pressure. "Looks like I will have to bring her here myself." Mei Hua spoke with a light smile. Chapter 196: Courtyard As soon as she finished speaking, the Qi in the surroundings moved as her hand extended forward, breaking the space as she reached into the crack, trying to pull someone out. The disciples waiting had their eyes widened in disbelief; they couldn''tprehend the sheer amount of power needed for such a feat. Shen Yuan also raised an eyebrow as Bing Rong stood in front of him to shield him from the pressure. He knew the gap between him and the sect leader wasrge, but experiencing it firsthand gave it apletely different feeling. Mei Hua moved her hand a bit and soon pulled someone out. "There you are," she said with a light giggle as she brought Huo Rong out from the crack. "Sect Leader!" Huo Rong looked at Mei Hua as her facial muscles twitched. "Can you not do that? The poor disciples will think someone is attacking our Sect right now." "Oh, don''t be dramatic. I''m sure they have gotten used to it by now," Mei Hua chuckled as she looked back at the shocked disciples. Huo Rong turned as well when she saw Shen Yuan standing behind Bing Rong. "Yuan''er! You are back!" Huo Rong''s eyes lit up as she walked towards him and gave him a tight hug. "I didn''t know you would being here; otherwise, I would havee in an instant." Mei Hua''s smile cracked slightly as she heard Huo Rong''s words. "Oh? You won''te when the Sect Leader invites you but will insteade at a moment''s notice if Shen Yuan was here?" Huo Rong''s lips twitched as she felt Mei Hua''s gaze on her back. She didn''t turn around but asked Shen Yuan, "Anyways, do you know why I was invited here?" She nced around to see disciples and elders gathered as she continued, "And there is quite a crowd gathered here as well." Mei Hua shook her head and sighed helplessly, "It''s because of the reward which I gave to the disciples." Huo Rong turned around and looked at Mei Hua curiously. "What was the reward?" she inquired. "There were multiple rewards, but the one which concerns you right now is thest one. It was to give disciples a chance to choose an Inner Sect elder as their master," Mei Hua finished speaking while staring directly at Huo Rong. "Hmm? Then why did you call me here? I don''t think som¡ª" Her eyes widened as she saw Mei Hua''s slight smile. "Don''t tell me someone actually chose me as their master?" She turned around to see Shen Yuan, who nodded his head while chuckling softly. Explore stories on mvl Huo Rong then looked at the rest of the disciples to see which one of them had chosen her as their master. Her eyes soonnded on Chen Yue, who was standing in front of the other disciples. "Disciple Chen Yue, tell us who you want your master to be," Mei Hua''s voice echoed beside theke as she asked her this question again. Chen Yue took a deep breath as she bowed towards Huo Rong, "Disciple Chen Yue would like to be the disciple of Elder Huo Rong!" Huo Rong looked at Chen Yue before ncing at Shen Yuan, who turned his head as if he didn''t want any part of this. Huo Rong looked conflicted for some time, as if she couldn''t decide whether she wanted to ept her as her disciple or not. "I don''t think I''m read¡ª" But before she could finish, Mei Hua spoke again, "By the way, Bing Rong epted Wan Ling as her disciple." "...I shall be your master from today, disciple Chen Yue," Huo Rong spoke with confidence as she sharply turned her gaze towards Bing Rong, who turned her gaze away from her as well. Bing Rong''s lips trembled slightly as she tried topose herself. On the other hand, Chen Yue''s eyes lit up as she hurriedly kneeled in front of Huo Rong to finish the ritual. "Disciple Chen Yue greets Master!" Huo Rong moved forward to pick her up as she said with a smile, "You don''t need to kneel in front of me every time, and you shall be my first disciple from now on." The elders'' eyes twitched seeing that both of them had made simr decisions. But s, they couldn''t do anything as they just sighed and looked at Mei Hua to continue. "With that out of the way, let''s ask what the rest of the disciples have to say. And to make it more interesting, let''s have the two of them tell us their answers at the same time." Mei Hua seemed to be enjoying herself as she looked at Zhao Lian and Ling Mei. They both took a deep breath as they walked forward together. Aftering in front of Mei Hua, they greeted her respectfully with a bow, "Greetings, Sect Leader." Mei Hua nodded her head as she stared at them for a moment before smilingly replying, "Looks like you both have made your choice. Go ahead and tell us." The rest of the disciples, elders, Bing Rong, Huo Rong, and Shen Yuan looked at Ling Mei and Zhao Lian curiously, but everyone had a suspicion about whom they would choose. They both took a deep breath and said at the same time: "I would like to be the disciple of Elder Huo Rong." "It would be my honor to be the disciple of Elder Bing Rong." The elders facepalmed themselves as what they suspected actually happened. Mei Hua shook her head and looked at Bing Rong and Huo Rong, who were speechlessly looking at Ling Mei and Zhao Lian. "Hahaha, looks like they have made their decisions. So, what will you choose now?" Shen Yuanughed as he was happy they didn''t go under another elder but instead chose Huo Rong and Bing Rong. Huo Rong and Bing Rong shook their heads helplessly as Huo Rong said with a smile, "Very well, since you have spent some time with Shen Yuan, we can assess your character through him." Bing Rong nodded her head, "Then it''s decided. Zhao Lian, you will be my second disciple from this moment forward." Huo Rong followed up, "And Ling Mei, you will be my second disciple from now on." Zhao Lian and Ling Mei hurriedly kneeled in front of them to show their respect while respectfully calling out, "This disciple greets you, Master!" The rest of the disciples pped as Bing Rong and Huo Rong moved forward to pick up both of the girls. Shen Yuan smiled seeing everyone so happy. He turned his gaze towards Mei Hua, who was looking at all the elders who were congratting Huo Rong and Bing Rong for getting disciples, as they were some of the youngest elders in the sect. Xiang Mei stepped forward at this point and said, "You guys can head to the treasure pavilion to collect your treasure whenever you want. We will notify the elders guarding that ce. Also, you can tell one of the Outer Sect elders when you want to get your weapon created by one of our cksmiths, and they will make it for you." Chapter 197: Tea The disciples nodded as they realized the time to leave wasing. They felt reluctant to leave, as even standing in the Sect Leader Hall had solidified their foundation due to the richness of the Qi here. But s, all good things muste to an end, and soon, Yun Lan ordered everyone to leave as the elders and disciples began leaving one by one. And soon, only Huo Rong, Bing Rong, Shen Yuan, Mei Hua, and the four disciples were left in the Sect Leader Hall. "So, do you have anything else for us or to tell us?" Shen Yuan asked as he turned to Mei Hua. The younger disciples'' eyes widened as they saw how casually he was talking with the Sect Leader. "No, I just wanted to send you off personally." She paused, noticing the suspicious eyes of Shen Yuan as she coughed lightly and continued. "And I wanted to ask when will Senior Shen Yuxin return to the sect? I suppose since Bing Rong and Huo Rong are back, she wouldn''t take much longer as well." She finished speaking as she looked at Shen Yuan for answers. Shen Yuan paused, thinking hard as he didn''t have any idea how much longer she would take in seclusion. [She will be out under a month.] Yue Lan''s voice echoed inside his mind as he felt anticipation building within. "She will return within a month." Shen Yuan looked at Mei Hua before responding with confidence. Mei Hua nodded her head as she went back to her spot beside theke to sit down. She dropped her legs back in theke as she waved them. "Thanks for answering my question. You all can take your leave now," she said as she closed her eyes and started meditating. Shen Yuan looked at Huo Rong and Bing Rong before heading towards the exit to leave the ce. They all followed after him as they soon exited the Sect Leader Hall. ... "It''s been such a long time since Ist saw you, Shen Yuan!" Huo Rong said as she grabbed Shen Yuan''s hand and leaned on his shoulder. Shen Yuan chuckled softly as he walked forward with Huo Rong on one side and Bing Rong on the other, while the other disciples followed after him. But none of them dared to speak as they didn''t want to interrupt Shen Yuan and Huo Rong. Shen Yuan teasingly said, "You didn''te to visit me even once in the Outer Sect." Huo Rong separated from him as she looked back at him and met his eyes before pointing her finger at his chest as she said, "I came to visit you, but you were in seclusion all the time. That''s why I didn''t disturb you. Hmph!" Shen Yuan shook his head as he grabbed her hand and pulled her closer, "Well, now that I''m free, will youe to visit me?" Huo Rong ced her hand on his chest as she came forward to hug him. "Of course I wille to visit you more often, but you might get into the Inner Sect before that from the looks of it." At the end of her words, she nced at Bing Rong mischievously. Shen Yuanughed lightly as he wrapped his arms around her and deepened the hug. The disciples looked at them suspiciously but said nothing, as they didn''t find anything out of ce since they were brother and sisters, so this level of affection was normal. But Bing Rong looked at the changed look of Huo Rong suspiciously, as she had a bad feeling about it. However, she didn''t want to ask her about it in front of their disciples, so she turned her head to the other side. Discover hidden tales at mvl Shen Yuan saw her gaze but didn''t say anything, nning to address itter. "Let''s go to my courtyard for a drink," he said while ncing back at Wan Ling and the others. "You guyse as well. Let''s celebrate a little for bing the disciples of the youngest Elders in the sect." The disciples'' eyes lit up as they hurriedly nodded. Bing Rong and Huo Rong smiled, seeing the disciples so eager. Soon, they went through one portal after another to reach the location of the Outer Sect disciples'' courtyard. ''Ugh, it''s that feeling ofprehension again, yet I feel like I''m missing something.'' Shen Yuan groaned inwardly as he felt the space intent being so close yet so far away from his grasp. The others didn''t feel anything as they started walking after Huo Rong, who knew where his courtyard was. Shen Yuan soon shook his head and started following after them. ... "Wow, is this Senior Brother Shen Yuan''s courtyard?" Wan Ling asked as she saw the peaceful scenery inside the courtyard. The rest of the disciples also looked at the courtyard with amazed eyes, as they didn''t expect him to live in such a tranquil environment. Shen Yuan smiled as he went towards his plum blossom tree and took a deep breath. "Sigh, it feels good to be back home after such a long time." He turned around to see Huo Rong and Bing Rong walking towards him slowly. The rest of the disciples looked at each other, unsure of where to go. Shen Yuan smiled and took out a big mattress for everyone to sit on. "Come everyone, let''s sit down and have a little chat." Huo Rong smiled as she sat down on his right, while Bing Rong sat down on his left. The disciples nodded their heads as they moved forward to sit down beside them. Chen Yue looked at Shen Yuan curiously before asking in a light tone, "Should we call you Senior Brother or Martial Uncle?" Ling Mei and the other two disciples looked at her in confusion before they nced at Shen Yuan and the Rong sisters, then nodded their heads thoughtfully. Shen Yuan felt his eye twitching as he heard their question. He didn''t think this would be the first question they would ask. He lightly shook his head, "Just continue to call me Senior Brother; we are in a sect after all." The disciples nodded and heaved a sigh, as they didn''t want to make Shen Yuan their Martial Uncle. Huo Rong giggled softly as she looked at them, "You really thought of a good question, Chen Yue." Chen Yue scratched the back of her head as she looked in a different direction. Shen Yuan took out his tea set and cups for everyone as he began preparing tea. "Ah, Senior Brother, let me do it instead," Wan Ling said as she was about to stand up and move forward to help him. Shen Yuan waved his hand, "Don''t worry about it. Let me be a good host this time since you all came here." Ling Mei and the others looked at each other as they felt heartwarming being treated so well by him. Huo Rong and Bing Rong smiled lightly seeing this scene, as Huo Rong moved forward to help Shen Yuan with it. Shen Yuan didn''t reject her help, which made Bing Rong raise an eyebrow as her lingering doubt continued to strengthen. Chapter 198: Memories Soon the tea finished boiling and he poured it for everyone to drink as they all chatted with each other. "So, will you all enter seclusion to break through to the Inner Sea realm?" Shen Yuan asked while sipping on his tea. Ling Mei and the others looked at each other as Wan Ling was the first to speak, "Yes, I will enter seclusion as my cultivation seems to have reached the peak of Foundation Establishment Realm." "I as well..." The rest of them agreed since they were all on the verge of breakthroughs after getting so many benefits from the Mystique Realm. Shen Yuan nodded his head approvingly, "You all should discuss your cultivation with Big Sister Huo Rong and Bing Rong." Bing Rong and Huo Rong nodded their heads as Huo Rong spoke, "Yes, you can ask us anything if you are not sure about your cultivation path." The disciples'' eyes lit up as they started to ask the questions which were troubling them. Shen Yuan moved back a little as he sipped his tea while Bing Rong and Huo Rong answered their questions. [You seem to be enjoying yourself quite a bit here.] Yue Lan''s voice echoed inside his head, making him chuckle. "It''s because I''m happy, both Sister Huo Rong and Sister Bing Rong seem to be happy with their disciples," he said to Yue Lan internally. [Well, enough about that. Will you cultivate that Fire Cultivation Technique today or some other day? It would be a major breakthrough for you if you manage to learn the Fire Intent from it. ]Shen Yuan thought deeply for a bit before he answered her back, "I will cultivate it after a few days; I will finish everything that I want to do in the Outer Sect in that time and will increase my cultivation base to join the Inner Sect." [Hmm, I see. Well, that works as well.] Shen Yuan curiously asked, "But why are you interested in that all of a sudden?" It''s because I''m curious whether you will be able toprehend the Fire Intent or not. Her voice turned mischievous as she replied. "You do know that I could have learned Fire Intent all on my own without a technique if I wanted it? It''s not a high-level Intent like the Space Intent that would cause problems for me." Shen Yuan replied back with a shake of his head. [While that might be true, butprehending a technique will increase your speed by dozens to hundreds of times; else you might have to meditate upon those Intents for decades or centuries.] Shen Yuan turned silent as he knew what she said was the truth; he might haveprehended the Intents but it would have taken a long time to do that. He soon shook his head to get rid of these useless thoughts, "I need to cultivate faster, for me to meet up with them again." His gaze turned nostalgic, heading into the abyss of memories, but before he could delve deeper into it, someone ced a hand on his shoulder as a gentle voice echoed in his ear, "What happened, Yuan''er?" Shen Yuan raised his head to see Bing Rong looking at him with concerned eyes. He smiled lightly as he shook his head. "It''s nothing, I was just thinking about my cultivation." He nced around and saw that nearly everyone had left the courtyard. "Hmm? Did they all already leave?" He turned his head back and asked Bing Rong softly. Bing Rong smiled softly and cupped his cheeks with her hand, "Yes, they already left. Huo Rong seemed quite reluctant to part with you, but I managed to send her away." Shen Yuan saw her ying with his cheeks gently as he raised his hand and ced it on top of hers, "How did you even manage to do that?" "Hehe, it''s a secret." Bing Rong revealed a rare smile as she seemed quite happy to y with Shen Yuan''s cheeks. He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer, embracing her gently as he breathed in her fragrance. He didn''t say anything as all words seemed to pale inparison to his actions. Bing Rong also didn''t say anything as she ced her head on his chest and closed her eyes to enjoy the moment. They sat beneath the plum blossom tree, peacefully embracing each other as the soft noises of the insects seemed to make the courtyard alive. They stayed like that for a while when Bing Rong raised her head and looked directly into Shen Yuan''s eyes, "I heard what happened between you and Huo Rong." Shen Yuan''s lips twitched as he had suspected something like this to happen due to Huo Rong''s personality. Nheless, he didn''t move his gaze away as he gently raised his palm and ced it on her cheek, "Are you angry with me due to that?" Bing Rong continued staring into his eyes and stayed silent for a while as if wondering about something. Shen Yuan felt his heart quickening at the growing tension. But Bing Rong soon spoke softly with a shake of her head, "I''m not angry at you; why would I be angry in the first ce?" Shen Yuan got silent as he didn''t know how to ask her that. He silently looked at her, not knowing how to continue the conversation. Bing Rong smiled, "I''m content as long as you are happy. And one of us was bound to do it with you first. That''s why we already decided who it will be in the Dual Cultivation Chambers after you sent us in. That''s why Yue Lan helped Huo Rong toplete her seclusion faster." Shen Yuan''s eyes widened as he stared at her; he didn''t think they would have done this behind his back. "You¡ª" he tried to speak but Bing Rong ced her finger on his lips and continued, "You don''t need to worry too much about it. We both decided on this ourselves." Shen Yuan silently looked at her, his mind turning into a mess as he didn''t know how to take in everything that was happening. After a while of thinking about his position, he sighed and pulled Bing Rong for a hug, "Thank you for understanding," he silently whispered in her ear. Bing Rong''s face lit up with a sweet smile as she embraced him back. Experience tales with mvl They stayed silent for a bit before Shen Yuan spoke, "Let me show you around my courtyard." Shen Yuan smiled as his mood had brightened up a lot after this chat with Bing Rong. She smiled and stood up from his embrace, "Sure, I want to see where you have been living all this while." Shen Yuan stood up as well. He put away all the items from the ground in his storage ring, "Good, let''s go to the bamboo grove first; it''s a nice little ce in this courtyard." He extended his hand towards Bing Rong, who smiled lightly and grabbed it. They intertwined their hands and started walking slowly towards the bamboo grove while admiring the calm atmosphere. "Isn''t this ce beautiful?" Shen Yuan said while looking at the green bamboos. Chapter 199: Exploring Bing Rong softly nodded her head while admiring the view. She didn''tment on it as she only wanted to enjoy the peace which she hadn''t felt in a long time. Shen Yuan also didn''t mind her silence as he showed her his courtyard from one corner to another. "Do you like my little ce?" he lightly asked her. "Mmnn." She nodded her head with a soft sound. He smiled lightly and continued exploring the ce. And before they knew it, the both of them reached Shen Yuan''s bedroom. Bing Rong took a deep breath as she felt Shen Yuan''s scent filling her entire being. "Is this your room?" She tilted her head as she asked him lightly. He nodded his head with a fond smile as they both entered inside the room. Bing Rong looked around to see the neat room with light decorations and a bed inside. "How is my room? Is it to your liking?" He turned around and looked at her while asking gently. Bing Rong thought deeply about it before replying, "It''s good but..." she trailed off, making Shen Yuan curious. He asked while moving a bit forward, "What is it that you don''t like in my room?" Bing Rong put a finger on her chin, as if pondering deeply before she replied, "The decorations are too simple, and the design is also not good enough." Shen Yuan lightlyughed, "Well, that''s because I didn''t have enough time to decorate this room aftering here. We can decorate the courtyard I will get when I enter the Inner Sect though." He continued as he came in front of her, "And now that both you and Big Sis Huo Rong are here, you guys can help me decorate it." Bing Rong''s eyes lit up as she nodded her head softly, "Yes, that''s for sure. We can get the help of our disciples as well. They will be in our family as well from now on." Shen Yuan nodded his head, "Haha, those guys will help for sure, and we can invite Han Qingyu as well. I haven''t seen her since we joined the sect." Stay tuned for updates on mvl "Hmm? Who is Han Qingyu?" Bing Rong raised an eyebrow in surprise as she asked Shen Yuan. "Ah, I forgot to tell you about her. She is Han Ming''s sister, whom I found recently during my travel to the sect. Well, her situation was..." Shen Yuan told her how he found Han Qingyu while also telling Bing Rong about her n and how they treated the siblings. Bing Rong listened intently, hearing each detail as her expression turned from curiosity to pity. "Sigh, what a poor girl," she shook her head as she thought about Han Qingyu''s condition, "It''s good that you took her in; otherwise she might have worked herself to death due to those people." Shen Yuan raised his hand and caressed her cheek softly, "I really adore how you look cold on the outside but are always considerate about those surrounding you." Bing Rong''s cheeks turned red as she shyly lowered her head a little, "Where did thisplimente all of a sudden?" she asked in a low voice. Shen Yuan chuckled as he pulled her into a hug, "It came from my adoration for my dear sister. You really are one of the kindest people I know." Bing Rong felt so embarrassed that she buried her face in his chest. "Mouuu, you!" She couldn''t find words to say back to him as she just tightened her hug. "Woah woah, calm down, are you trying to kill your husband?" Shen Yuan jokingly said as he patted her back softly. Bing Rong instantly released her grasp and looked at him worriedly, "Are you alright? Did I hurt you?" Shen Yuan smiled and pinched her nose softly, "I''m perfectly fine, you little idiot. I was just messing with you, and look how easy it is to do that. Haha." Bing Rong''s cheeks flushed a deep red that spread all the way down her neck as she red at Shen Yuan, then suddenly leaned forward and bit his hand. Shen Yuan''s eyes widened, feeling the sting sharper than he''d expected. "Ouch! Ouch! Alright, I''m sorry! I was wrong! Let go of my hand!" Shen Yuan quickly pleaded, trying to tug his hand free, but nothing worked as her grip was not something he could free himself from. After a moment, Bing Rong finally released his hand, huffing with a soft "Hmph!" Shen Yuan rubbed his hand as he spoke while looking at her, "You didn''t have to bite that hard. Look, you even left marks, and that''s despite my high cultivation." Bing Rong nced at the faint imprints of her teeth on his hand, a hint of guilt shing in her eyes. She reached out, her voice softening, "Give me your hand." He looked at her suspiciously, raising an eyebrow. "You''re not going to bite it again, are you?" Her lips twitched in amusement as she gently took his hand. Shen Yuan''s eyes widened as she brought his hand close to her mouth again, his heart skipping a beat. "Hey, hey, I was only kidding! There''s no need to take it seriously¡ª" Before he could finish, he felt the soft warmth of her tongue gliding over the bite marks, each lick sending a shiver down his spine. Her tongue was wet and warm as it traced over the area she''d bitten, and he couldn''t deny the strange tingling heat spreading through his hand. He swallowed, his voice barely a murmur. "What... what are you doing?" Bing Rong didn''t respond, her focus entirely on his hand as she continued to lick the small wound gently. He felt aforting warmth from her saliva and soon realized it was actually healing the bite marks she''d left. The sensation was unexpectedly gentle, almost intimate, and he found himself watching her in silence, entranced by the gentle care. When she finally pulled back, she met his gaze with a hint of satisfaction and shyness in her eyes, "There. All better." Shen Yuan looked at his hand in wonder as he nced between Bing Rong and his hand. "How did you even do that? Is that due to the techniques of this sect?" he curiously asked as all the pain he was feeling was gone already. Bing Rong''s face turned red at his question as she looked away. Shen Yuan felt his curiosity increasing as he asked her again, "Come on, tell me already. There is no need to keep secrets between us." Bing Rong''s eyes turned red as she answered in a low voice, "It''s due to my bloodline." Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up, "You unlocked a bloodline ability? That''s great, so what else can it do?" Shen Yuan asked as Bloodline Abilities were some of the best techniques for a user to master. They would increase in rank together with the user, so their ceiling was literally how high the cultivator could get with their potential. But most bloodlines came with restrictions as they can''t get higher than the progenitor of that bloodline; that''s why cultivating was so much harder for beasts after reaching a certain point. Chapter 200: Bing Rong [R18] Bing Rong''s face turned redder, "Uhh...I haven''t explored it more yet, that''s all I have been able to find out about my ability." Shen Yuan looked at her for a second, thinking whether she was serious or not. But seeing her increasingly redder face, he sighed and swept her in for a hug, "We will find out more about itter, your Ancient Frost Phoenix Bloodline wouldn''t give you this low-level ability after all." Shen Yuanforted her gently, making her heart flutter as she melted in his embrace. Both of them felt the atmosphere in the room shifting as they silently felt each other''s heartbeat speed up. "Yuan''er..." she murmured his name lightly, feeling his hands roaming on her back. Shen Yuan let go of her as they both looked into each other''s eyes, it was at this moment that they felt their hearts connecting with each other. Shen Yuan understood what she meant without any words as he leaned his face slowly toward her. Bing Rong closed her eyes and tilted her head upward, she had waited for this moment for far too long now. Shen Yuan extended his hand and gently caressed her cheek as their lips met softly. The kiss was filled with gentle love and care as Shen Yuan didn''t want to be too aggressive from the start with Bing Rong. She responded the same as he had expected, due to her wild imagination she was getting nervous as her body tensed. Shen Yuan pulled her over for a hug as he gently carried her back, that''s all she needed as she began to calm down and let go of all of her nervousness. She began responding meekly and slightly opened her mouth, but Shen Yuan didn''t miss the opportunity as he extended his tongue into her mouth and started a deep kiss. Bing Rong''s closed eyes trembled slightly but she didn''t panic and began to enjoy it. Shen Yuan slowly led her towards the bed as he sat down on a corner of the bed without breaking the kiss. Bing Rong sat down on hisp while putting her legs on one side. Shen Yuan began to feel her smooth skin on his hands, his hands drifted from her neck to her bottom light as he traced patterns. Bing Rong felt a shiver run down her spine as Shen Yuan gently teased her. She felt her excitement building as she grabbed the back of his hand and deepened the kiss. Shen Yuan responded to her passionately as he dropped back on the bed and made her lie on top of him. Bing Rong opened her eyes in surprise but before she could make a sound, Shen Yuan attacked her with his tongue and started another round of passionate kissing. Bing Rong felt light-headed as she closed her eyes and fell into the abyss of pleasure. Shen Yuan extended his hands downward and felt her bouncy ass as he started ying with it slowly. She felt the sensation on her ass immediately as she quivered softly. Shen Yuan felt her supple body move on top of him, which made his blood run faster as he felt his dick getting harder. Bing Rong felt it as well since her pussy was directly pressing against it. Even aftering this far with him, her face turned red from the solid sensation that she felt beneath her. Shen Yuan finally broke the kiss, their lips connected with a string of saliva as they both looked at each other with zed looks. "Huuf...huuf...how was it?" Shen Yuan asked after taking a few deep breaths. Bing Rong answered him with a smile as she lowered her hand from his back and reached slowly for his dick. Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow as he felt her hand on top of his dick. Bing Rong felt his bulging pants hiding something firm beneath. She smiled lightly and began to caress his dick softly, Shen Yuan groaned slightly as he firmly grabbed her curvaceous ass and began to y with it. Your next chapter is on mvl They both didn''t relent as Bing Rong slipped her hand under his pants to feel his dick directly. Her hand got wet with his precum as she traced patterns alongside it. Shen Yuan looked at her and saw her mischievous smile. He smiled in return and extended his head a bit higher to reach his ear as he licked it softly and whispered, "Let''s get undressed." Bing Rong''s hand paused as she felt shy again, but Shen Yuan didn''t wait for her as he picked her up gently and started to remove his robe. She sat upright on the bed and stared at Shen Yuan, her eyes lit up as she saw his nearly divine body in its full glory. Shen Yuan felt her gaze on him as he turned around to face her, his dick standing erect which pointed straight towards the heavens as if ready to reach the heavens. Bing Rong''s eyes moved down instantly as his erect dick captivated much of her attention, she nearly faltered looking at the perfect form. Shen Yuan moved a bit further as he lightly said, "Looked enough? It''s not fair that I''m the only naked one here, right?" he stared at her body from head to toe. Bing Rong came out of her thoughts, blushing slightly as Shen Yuan''s smell filled her nose due to the close proximity. She slowly stood up and started to remove her icy blue robes, while Shen Yuan moved ahead and sat on the bed, slowly looking at the show that Bing Rong was performing for him. Her luscious figure slowly revealed itself as she slid her robes down, Shen Yuan''s dick twitched as his eyes roamed over her bare body. The milky white skin and the voluptuous body seemed to be begging someone to take her then and there. She slowly removed her undergarments as his eyesnded on her erect pink nipples, and his gaze slowly traveled down as his eyes rested on her bare pussy, which glistened with a bit of juice that dripped from her wet pussy. Bing Rong twirled in one ce as Shen Yuan got a glimpse of her juicy ass. His dick throbbed in excitement which Bing Rong saw, she lightly smiled with a red face as she seductively moved forward. Shen Yuan''s gaze remained fixed on her as he saw hering closer and closer, and soon, she came in front of him and slowly kneeled down. His eyes lit up as she gently grabbed his dick which didn''t even fit in her hand as she stroked it gently, she slightly raised her head to see Shen Yuan looking directly at her. She felt her pussy twitch as his dick got harder with each touch, but even after a while Shen Yuan didn''t release as his voice echoed in her ear, as if a devil whispered, "You will need to do more than that." Bing Rong didn''t raise her hand as her mind moved and she knew what to do next, she grabbed the back of his legs and extended her tongue out as licked his dick from bottom to top in one swift motion. Chapter 201: Bing Rong II [R18] Shen Yuan closed his eyes as he felt the pleasure to the utmost. "Your mouth feels really good..." Shen Yuan said while keeping his eyes closed. Bing Rong felt her body heating up as she twirled her tongue on top of his dick, but soon, she leaned forward and put his dick in her mouth. Shen Yuan quivered slightly as he felt her wet mouth enveloping his dick. But she didn''t stop as she continued taking his dick deeper and deeper until she couldn''t take it and pulled her head back until only the tip of his dick remained in her mouth. Shen Yuan arched his back as he felt the heavenly sensation, but before he could even take a breath, Bing Rong dropped her head back and took in the entirety of his dick in her mouth. Shen Yuan clenched his teeth and extended his hand to pat her head, Bing Rong paused and raised her head only a little to see Shen Yuan''s pleasurable face. And that''s all she needed to see as she started to bobble her head up and down. "Mmm...keep going...Big Sis..." Shen Yuan moaned under his breath as her inexperienced blowjob seemed enough to make him erupt. Bing Rong''s pussy twitched as she heard Shen Yuan''s words, she freed one hand from his thighs and brought it to her pussy, and began fingering herself. "Ahh, I''m cumming!" Shen Yuan grabbed her head and moaned loudly while pushing his dick deeper into her mouth as he released his cum. Bing Rong''s eyes widened at the sheer amount as she struggled to fit it in her mouth, but soon, Huo Rong''s words struck her mind as she began to gulp it down. Shen Yuan let go of her head as he calmed down slightly, while Bing Rong pulled her head back and released his dick from her mouth with a plop sound. She licked the corner of her lips which seemed to drip with cum as she looked up at him with a sultry smile. But she didn''t get up and leaned forward again to clean up the mess that she made. Explore more adventures at §Þ?? She pulled her tongue out again and began to lick it clean gently. Shen Yuan smiled and patted her head but he soon remembered something as he said internally, ''Lan''er, give her that Dual Cultivatin technique so she can make the best use of my Yang Essence.'' [Ugjh, here!] Her annoyed voice echoed as she sent Bing Rong the Eternal Yin-Yang Sutra and a prerecorded exnation about what it is, where it came from, and why she is getting it. She had made it before because she knew it wouldn''t be thest time he would ask her to share this technique with his harem. Shen Yuan tilted his head in confusion as he couldn''t figure out why she was annoyed. But he soon shook his head to get rid of unnecessary thoughts and focused on Bing Rong again. She looked up at him in confusion but soon her eyes turned crystal clear as she looked at him with affection, "Thank you for the technique Yuan''er." Shen Yuan smiled and grabbed her hand before pulling her in for a hug, "Don''t mention it." Bing Rong cleaned her face with a water technique but looked at him and gave him a deep kiss. Her perky breasts pressed against Shen Yuan''s chest as they both felt each other''s heart racing. Shen Yuan lowered her hand and yed with her ass a little before drawing circles around her asshole. Bing Rong shuddered as she felt his fingers so close to her asshole but he soon lowered his hand further and began exploring the folds beneath her butt. Bing Rong moaned in her mouth as she felt her pussy itching with need. "Nnn~" Shen Yuan saw her expression as he broke her kiss and whispered, "Let''s continue on the bed." Bing Rong eagerly nodded stood up from hisp and climbed up the bed. Shen Yuan turned around and saw her lying down,pletely naked and defenseless on top of the bed with her legs closed. He smiled lewdly and slowly went closer to her, looking directly into her eyes. Bing Rong felt her heartbeat quickening as she saw him getting closer and closer. And soon, he arrived in front of her his voice softly echoed in the room, "Are you ready?" Bing Rong nervously nodded her head, not knowing what he had in store for her. Soon, Shen Yuan extended his hand and caressed her thighs softly, feeling the heat of her body seep into her. She quivered softly as she felt a tingling feeling on her thighs. But Shen Yuan didn''t stop as he moved his hand upward slowly, feeling her legs closed shut. He smiled slightly seeing her so nervous yet executed as he grabbed her knees and started to softly pull them apart gently. Bing Rong took a deep breath and split her legs apart in anticipation. Shen Yuan''s nose tingled as he smelled something sweet, he sniffed slightly and lower his head towards her cunt. Bing Rong''s face turned beet red as she saw him sniffing her pussy. "Your juice smells so sweet," Shen Yuan remarked as hey down on the bedpletely and put his head in front of her pussy. Bing Rong couldn''t even make a noise due to her embarrassment but ShenYuan didn''t mind as he weaved his hand around her thighs and put them on her buttocks. "Uhnn~" She released a muffled moan as Shen Yuan leaned forward and licked her pussy gently. His eyes lit up as the taste was just as good as Huo Rong''s. He eagerly extended his tongue and began exploring her pink petals like pussy. Bing Rong arched her back she felt Shen Yuan''s eager tongue exploring her pussy, her breast jiggled due to her movements as she felt her legs weakening due to the pleasure. "You taste incredible, Big Sis. I just can''t have enough of you." He said as he continued eating her without stopping. Shen Yuan increased the intensity as her pussy juice began to flow quicker and he licked it all clean, but it wasn''t enough as he moved his hand closer to her pussy and inserted two fingers in. Bing Rong''s eyes widened as her body twitched, but Shen Yuan didn''t stop as he started to lick her again. Her pussy trembled from pleasure as she groaned. "Ahh!~ I''m cumming!!" Shen Yuan eagerly opened her mouth to not drop a single bit of her juices as soon he felt his face getting wet with her juices which spilled from his mouth. He gulped down a mouthful of her nectar as he felt his body strengthening with it. But he didn''t focus on it as his gaze moved upward to as his eyes met with Bing Rong who was staring at him with zed looks. Shen Yuan smiled while his face remained wet with her juices, Bing Rong took deep breaths before she said huskily, "That...that was incredible. I have never felt like this before." Shen Yuan smiled and moved upward while cleaning his face with a water technique. Chapter 202: Finish [R18] He moved his face closer to her as he softly asked, "Are you sure about this?" Bing Rong started straight into his eyes with unwavering resolve despite her rough breaths, she slowly nodded her head and spoke, "I was sure about this the day I agreed to be with you." She didn''t hesitate in the slightest, which made Shen Yuan''s lips curl up in a gentle smile. Enjoy new stories from §Þ?? He leaned forward and gently kissed her forehead. Bing Rong revealed a sweet smile feeling the gentle actions of Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan extended his hand towards her pussy as he lightly caressed her down there. "Are you ready?" His soft voice echoed in the room as Bing Rong nodded her head. Shen Yuan lightly moved his body and ced his dick directly above her pussy, gently pushing it down. He raised his head and saw Bing Rong closing her eyes in nervousness, he reached out with his hand and gently caressed her cheeks as he leaned forward to catch her plump lips for a searing kiss. Bing Rong wrapped her arms around his neck as she lost herself in the kiss. Shen Yuan took this opportunity to push his dick lightly inside her pussy. Bing Rong quivered as she felt his dick entering but Shen Yuan quickly patted her back to make her rx as he continued pushing himself deeper inside her slowly, making sure she wouldn''t feel the pain much. Soon, he felt something obstructing his advance as he knew that he was at a line that couldn''t be uncrossed. He paused slightly but Bing Rong grabbed the back of his head tighter and deepened her kiss. Shen Yuan knew what she wanted as he didn''t stop and pushed his entire length into her as her hymen broke. "Ngh~" she grunted softly as she felt his entire dick entering her pussy. Shen Yuan lightly patted her back as he slowly pulled his dick out. "I love you." Shen Yuan softly whispered after breaking the kiss as he felt her Primordial Yin entering his body as his own Primordial Yang entered Bing Rong''s dantian. But his focus remained on Bing Rong as he trusted his foundation enough that it would handle the rest of the work. The Eternal Yin-Yang Sutra began to revolve on its own inside both of their bodies as they felt the absorption bing smoother and swifter. Bing Rong didn''t notice everything that was happening as all her focus was on the words that Shen Yuan had uttered. She smiled brightly, "I love you too-" Just as she was about to continue, Shen Yuan thrust his dick back inside her pussy. "Ahn~" Bing Rong moaned out loud, feeling his dick entering deep inside of herself again. Shen Yuan pulled out again and started to thrust again and again. "Aaaahann~" She started moaning while feeling her pleasure building. Shen Yuan lowered his head a little and caught one of her boobs with her mouth and started to suck on it. Bing Rong grabbed the back of his head and pushed him closer to her, "Ahnn~ harder!" Shen Yuan felt a fire igniting inside of him as he increased his speed. Bing Rong folded her legs and captured Shen Yuan as she pushed him from behind. Shen Yuan released her boob as he grabbed one and started to fondle them gently, but he didn''t let his mouth remain free for long as he rained down kisses on Bing Rong''s neck. "Yuan''er, I''m close to cummminnggg~" Bing Rong moaned while feeling the pleasure. Shen Yuan felt his dick twitch at her erotic moaning, he increased his pace while hoarsely saying, "Im close as well." "Release it inside!!" Bing Rong screamed as she felt his dick twitch inside of her. Shen Yuan took a deep breath before pressing Bing Rong down and pushing his dick deep inside of her as he released his cum. "Cummingg~" Bing Rong moaned out loud as her own orgasm came together with Shen Yuan. But unknown to them, the Primordial Yin of Bing Rong had helped push Shen Yuan''s cultivation back to the peak of Foundation Establishment Realm. And it was much more consolidated than before as it didn''t show any signs of stopping. And that''s when Shen Yuan felt something wrong with him as he checked inside his body while lying on top of Bing Rong. ''huff...huff... is this due to Big SIs Primordial Yin? I will break through to the next level at this rate, it was already difficult for me to suppress it previously.'' Shen Yuan fell into a dilemma as he thought deeply about what he should do. ''Should I just let go of it and breakthrough? But it will distract me from Big Sis too much...'' He couldn''t decide at all but his dantian soon felt warn as his focus shifted back to it and then he saw something suppressing all the Primordial Yin being suppressed inside of his Dantian. The energy from Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong''s Primordial Yin stabilized and stopped leaking into his body. Shen Yuan heaved a sigh as he knew it was the work of his dual cultivation physique, ''looks like there are more things about my physique that I don''t know about.'' He soon shook his head and focused back on Bing Rong, seeing her looking at him worriedly, he smiled and caressed her cheek softly, "Are you alright?" He asked in a gentle tone, as it was her first time so he didn''t want to rush her further. Bing Rong lightly nodded her head and pushed Shen Yuan to the side yfully before straddling on top of him. "Now it''s my turn, don''t you think?" Her eyes shed mischievously as she pressed his dick beneath her pussy, she lightly moved her ass as Shen Yuan felt his dick twitching. He smirked seeing her try to please him, "By all means go ahead, let''s see what you have learned from the scrolls of those dual cultivation sects. Bing Rong''s eyes slightly widened but she quickly shook her head to get rid of distracting thoughts, "I forgot that you know about it, then let me show you what I have learned from those scrolls." She smiled seductively as she raised her butt slowly before grabbing his dick and directing it straight towards her pussy. Shen Yuan extended his hand as he began fondling her breast yfully. "Sigh...these feel so good, I can y with them for a lifetime." He sighed in an exaggerated manner while yfully teasing her pink buds. Bing Rong bit her lower lip as she lowered her butt, his dick entering her pussy slowly, but he didn''t move an inch and continued ying with her boobs. "Uhnn~" She moaned softly as Shen Yuan''s dick entered her slowly. But all of a sudden, Shen Yuan moved his hips upward as he entered his entire length into her again. Bing Rong''s legs turned weak as she fell forward, but Shen Yuan moved forward to catch her as her boobs stuck to his face. ''Mmm...this feeling is enough to die for.'' he thought as he slowly pulled his dick out while Bing Rongy on top of him. "This...this isn''t over yet." Bing Rong raised her head and gave Shen Yuan a big wet kiss. Her hips raised slightly as she dropped them hard on his dick, taking its entirety inside of him. "Ahnn~" Bing Rong moaned inside his mouth while feeling his rock-hard dick making a mess of her pussy. Her juices dripped down his dick, coating it in ayer of her nectar. And soon, Bing Rong felt her climax approaching, she hugged Shen Yuan''s head and moaned out loud, "Aaahhhnn~ I''m cumming!" Shen Yuan smirked and started to thrust his dick inside her as well, feeling her wet folds surrounding his dick. Soon, her pussy gushed with juices as Shen Yuan pushed his dick deep into her pussy. Strength left her hands as she fell on top of him again, but this time Shen Yuan didn''t catch y with her boobs, instead caught her while not breaking the kiss. He soon broke the kiss as he saw saliva dripping from the corner of her mouth, he licked it clean and asked in a light voice, "How was it?" Bing Rong couldn''t even form thoughts correctly due to the extreme pleasure but still responded, "Heavenly..." Shen Yuan smiled hearing her response as hey her down on the right and covered both of them in a nket, "The night is still long, take a little rest, and then we will continue." Shen Yuan whispered in her ear while giving a light kiss on her nose. "En..." Bing Rong made a small noise in acknowledgment as she closed her eyes and took long breaths. ... "Ahh!" Shen Yuan streatche his hands as he woke up, but he felt some weight on his chest as he turned his face to see Bing Rong sleeping beside him with her face on his chest. He gently smiled and caressed her face softly. Chapter 203: Breakthrough He gently smiled and caressed her face softly as she moved a little and turned to the other side after leaving his embrace but didn''t wake up. ''Hmm... I will let her sleep for now. I need to break through as well; suppressing this raging Qi is getting harder and harder now, and her Primordial Yin only made it more impossible for me to do it.'' He quickly thought as he sat up straight and sat down in a meditative stance. He breathed in deeply and focused all his attention on his multiple dantians. But before he could mobilize his Qi to break through, Yue Lan''s voice echoed in his mind: [Yuan''er, you have too much excess Qi this time. You have to use more of it because your body is also passively absorbing Qi even if you don''t cultivate actively.] Shen Yuan paused his movement as his mind churned. He quickly thought of various paths he could take, but in the end, he decided on the one which would benefit him the most. Explore hidden tales at §Þ?? ''Alright, I will start cultivating the technique which I got inside the Mystique Realm. Let''s see what this Inferno Smithing Technique can do.'' He focused his will inside his Sea of Consciousness and found the technique floating in one ce. It seemed to have be a rune with those words as he tried toprehend it. And soon, he saw the vision of his entire Sea of Consciousness turning into an ocean of fire. Even his body began burning as huge hammers made purely out of fire manifested on top of him. His eyes widened as he saw the hammers swinging directly at his head. He hurriedly moved back to avoid them but soon realization hit him. He stopped in his ce and waited for the hammers to strike his body directly. BAM! His body got sent flying through the air as he seemed to have been struck by a huge force. He rolled on the ground a couple of times before standing straight. His eyes lit up with rity as heprehended more of the technique. "Good, with this, I canprehend the technique much faster, and this..." his voice trailed off as he felt something deeper inside him being formed. But before he could look further into it, another hammer struck him and sent him flying, but he didn''t roll on the ground this time as he flipped in the air andnded on the ground. ... After being struck by the hammer countless times, Shen Yuan finally understood the mysteries of it as his Qi began to rapidly overflow through the meridians. ''Hmm? Why is the Qi not going inside the third Dantian?'' Shen Yuan thought to himself in confusion. [Look inside the third Dantian.] Yue Lan''s voice sounded in his mind just in time. ''Ah, the Qi is actively avoiding the Abyssal Qi... but my purified Qi is not avoiding it... how strange,'' Shen Yuan thought to himself as he understood the cause of the empty Dantian but couldn''t understand why one Qi could go inside but not the other. [Because your purified Qi''s quality is way higher than both the normal Qi of this world and the Abyssal Qi, and your purified Qi is also mixed with those three women''s Primordial Yin.] ''I see, so my purified Qi is basically suppressing the effects of the Abyssal Qi?'' he asked back curiously. [Yes, for now, that is. It might not be able to do that if you went ahead and absorbed arge enough amount of Abyssal Qi that it brings a qualitative change to it.] Shen Yuan shook his head as he didn''t have to bother about that for now. He focused back on his fourth dantian where the Qi was being gathered. But it was not the normal Qi nor was it the purified Qi but a zing hot Fire Qi, which he refined from the normal Qi. Its purity was rapidly reaching the same level as the purified Qi of his body due to a multitude of factors. He closed his eyes and started to guide the Qi throughout his body to achieve a breakthrough from his fourth Dantian as well. BOOM! He directly broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm due to the purity of his Qi, and soon his cultivation rapidly advanced. Second Level Foundation Establishment Realm Fourth Level Foundation Establishment Realm Seventh Level Foundation Establishment Realm Finally, he achieved the Ninth Level Foundation Establishment Realm. His churning Qi calmed down as he exhaled a deep breath. ''Ugh, there is still a lot of excess Qi that I need to use,'' Shen Yuan didn''t expect that he would have umted this much during this time. ''There is only one thing that I can do about this now,'' Shen Yuan thought with a shake of his head as he mobilized his Qi again. But this time, he activated the Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art, moving the entire reservoir of his Qi from within the body. He gathered it inside his main Dantian and beganpressing it with his will. Soon all the gaseous Qi of his body formed a ball inside the Dantian, but that wasn''t enough as he once again began topress the ball. Just as the ball of Qi gotpressed to the extreme, a dense drop of Qi dropped from the bottom of the Qi ball. It was as if a dam got released as more and more of the Qi began to drop, but with each added drop, the strain on his body doubled as his muscles stretched to take in the higher-level Qi inside his body. Shen Yuan frowned his brows as the pain continued to increase relentlessly. But he didn''t stop like the others who stopped after refining 1% of their gaseous Qi into Liquid Qi; he continued to squeeze thepressed Qi. The liquefied Qi continued to increase in concentration, but he seemed to be nearing his limits as well. The liquefied Qi seemed to be able to hold the power to crush even the very stars, but that power wasn''t easy to obtain as after reaching his limits, he tried to push for just a bit further. But that small amount made him spit out blood. "Cough," his blood sshed on the bed, painting it crimson. Bing Rong opened her eyes in shock as she saw Shen Yuan spitting out a mouthful of blood. Her eyes filled with worry as she moved forward and held his back, "Yuan''er! Are you alright?" She asked as she looked around the room for any possible enemies, but even with her Divine Sense, she didn''t find anything. Shen Yuan raised his hand and ced it on top of hers and reassured her, "Don''t worry, just a slight problem." He didn''t speak anything else and looked inside his dantian. All the gaseous Qi had scattered back inside his body while he only managed to liquefy about 10% of it this time. ''Good enough, this should be enough for me to fight anyone inside the Inner Sect,'' he thought and checked for any injuries that he might have sustained. "Oh? I''m not injured at all?" he spoke aloud in surprise as he saw that he had no internal injuries, and even if he had any, they had healed already. Chapter 204: Plum Blossom Tree Bing Rong calmed down and held Shen Yuan''s hand to check for his pulse, but found it to be pulsing normally and he really seemed to not be injured. She heaved a sigh of relief while looking at him as if he had just wronged her. Shen Yuan smiled and took her in his embrace before softly whispering in her ear with a mischievous tone, "Nice way to greet me in the morning, eh? Can''t say that I don''t like it though." Bing Rong''s eyes clouded with confusion for a second as she couldn''t make sense of what he was talking about, but then she felt his hand caressing her butt gently as a shiver ran down her spine. She hurriedly distanced herself from him and pulled up a nket before looking down in embarrassment. Shen Yuan smiled evilly and teased her, "Oh? Getting shy now after all those things we didst night?" Bing Rong''s face exploded in redness as she lowered her head even further; she felt like digging a hole and jumping inside to nevere out of it. Shen Yuan lightly shook his head and smiled gently before pulling her into a gentle embrace. He didn''t say any words as his actions conveyed all that he wanted to say to her. She also closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest as they stayed like that for some time. ... Shen Yuan and Bing Rong sat side by side beneath the cherry blossom tree, watching the petals fall slowly as she rested her head on his shoulder. Readtest stories on §Þ?? "Will you join the Inner Sect today?" Bing Rong asked with her eyes closed. "Yes, I have already broken through to the Inner Sea realm; it''s about time I head inside the Inner Sect to take a look at how the disciples are there." He smiled and replied softly. "How were the disciples of the Outer Sect then?" Bing Rong curiously asked as she sat up straight and turned her face to his. Shen Yuan turned to face her and replied, "Except for a few, most of them are generally good disciples, though theyck something very important as cultivators." Bing Rong tilted her head, "And what is that?" "Dao Heart. A heart to seek the Grand Dao. Their will is weak, way too weak. Most of them are content with only learning some healing arts from the sect. I have only seen a handful of disciples here who have any grand aspirations," he seriously replied from what he had observed so far. Bing Rong thought over his words as they made sense to her; even she herself was the same, as she was happy as long as she was in thepany of her family. But Shen Yuan''s words woke up her lost Dao Heart as she realized that if she didn''t focus on her cultivation then Shen Yuan will only leave her far behind on the path of the Grand Dao. And she doesn''t want to be a burden on him. Her eyes became firm as she looked at Shen Yuan again, this time with both affection and gratitude, "Than¡ª" "You can thank me by giving me a kiss, you know?" Before her words could even finish, Shen Yuan shamelessly asked her for thanks. Bing Rong blushed slightly, but nheless she leaned forward and gave him a light peck on his cheek. "Aww, I was expecting a kiss on the lips. Just like we had done all nig¡ª" But before he could tease her further, Bing Rong vanished from her ce. But Shen Yuan was able to gaze at her silhouette even if only for a split second as she flew away. "Haha. It''s always fun to tease those two." Heughed to himself and took out his wine. He poured himself a cup before bringing it close to his mouth and gulping it down, "Puah! I was able to look at her leaving silhouette, which I wasn''t able to do with Big Sis Huo Rong, so it means I have be much stronger than thest time." [Of course you have, did you forget how many opportunities you have encountered during this time?] Yue Lan''s voice echoed from his mind as she manifested into her cat form on the seat beside him. Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow as it had been some time since he hadst seen her. He smiled remembering theirst encounter and teased, "Why don''t you turn into your human form?" Yue Lan ignored him as she took a small te from the system space and poured herself some wine as well. "Hmm? You can drink wine? Even though this body is only an illusion?" Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow as he questioned her. Yue Lan licked some wine from the te before raising her head, [Of course, I can do it. And what trashy wine are you even drinking? Even beasts wouldn''t drink something so bad.] She disdainfully said before throwing the te away and jumping on top of his head. "Hey! That ce is not your home." Shen Yuan''s annoyed voice echoed beneath the plum blossom tree as Yue Lan looked at the falling petals. [Now now, don''t be so stingy. You have already seen my true form; are you sure you don''t want to form a good rtionship with me?] Shen Yuan felt his eye twitching at her words. He put away his wine cup, reached out with his hand, and tried to grab her from his head. And to his surprise, he was able to hold her as he felt her small and soft form. [Nyahh!! Release me!] Yue Lan screamed at him while trying to attack him with her ws, but Shen Yuan evilly smiled seeing her struggling so much as he had put her in front of his face. "Hoh, now what do we have here?" Yue Lan struggled even harder but she seemed to have the strength equal to that of a mortal cat, but with a nearly indestructible body. Shen Yuan didn''t tease her much put her down on hisp and began petting her head. [Hmph.] Yue Lan huffed and looked away, but didn''t leave Shen Yuan''sp. He smiled seeing her actions and closed his eyes to rest for a bit while continuing to pet her. [Will you continue with your Alchemy training or not? It''s been a while since you practiced it,] Yue Lan asked as she raised her head to look at him. Shen Yuan opened his eyes and looked down before thinking for a bit and answering, "I will continue learning it after entering the Inner Sect; I''m not in a hurry to learn the side professions though." [Hmm? Why not?] "Because at my current level, I can find all the suitable things in the market; there is no need for me to learn new things right now, but increasing my cultivation is my topmost priority." He thoughtfully replied. [That is true as well, but you can''t force your cultivation; you need to wait a few days for your body to stabilize first.] "Oh, now that you mention it, how did my injuries get healed? I''m sure I was injured at the end of the cultivation session." Shen Yuan remembered the weird and warm sensation he had felt back then and asked the question now. Chapter 205: System Screen "Oh, now that you mention it, how did my injuries get healed? I''m sure I was injured at the end of the cultivation session," Shen Yuan remembered the weird and warm sensation he had felt back then and asked the question. [That was due to the Primordial Yin of Bing Rong. It has healing properties, so some of its energy was used to quickly heal you up,] Yue Lan replied. Shen Yuan nodded in understanding as he closed his eyes again. ... "Show me my stats, Lan''er," Shen Yuan opened his eyes and said. Yue Lan opened her eyes, raised her head from hisp, and nodded. [Ding!] [Congrattions, Host!] The system''s robotic voice sounded inside his head. Shen Yuan''s eyes flickered with interest as he read the system prompts appearing one after another. [Ding!] [Congrattions, Host, for Dual Cultivating with Bing Rong for the first time. You have acquired the following rewards.] [Gained 1,000,000 experience points.] [Eternal Yin-Yang Sutra proficiency increased.] [Power of Primal Harmony Physique enhanced.] [A gourd of Qi Compressing Pills.] [...] "Ah, I forgot about the reward for first-time dual cultivating with someone. Hmm, they''re nearly the same as when I dual cultivated with Big Sis Huo Rong," Shen Yuan thoughtfully said as he looked at the rewards. [Because both of them have nearly the same cultivation base. The rewards will differ based on whom you dual cultivate with,] Yue Lan softly said while lying on hisp. Shen Yuan nodded his head and continued, "Well, rewards aside, show me my system panel." [Ding!] [Host: Shen Yuan] [Title: Charming Young Master, Mob Killer, Weapon Master, Madman, Masochist, Inheritor of Purity Sage, Era-Defining Genius, Incestuous Pervert, Outer Sect Disciple Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect, False Chaotic Lifeform, Abyssal Seed, Heir of Inferno Smith¡­] [Cultivation Base: Inner Sea Realm(10%)] [Bloodline: ???] [Physique- 1-Saint-Rank Primal Harmony Physique (Primordial Rank Sealed) 2-Saint-Rank False Chaos Physique (Immortal Rank Sealed)] 3-Supreme-Rank Purity Physique 4-Supreme-Rank Chaotic Vessel Physique [Talents- 1- High Level Comprehension (Peak-Grade Supreme Tier) 2- Weapon Master (High-Grade Emperor Tier) 3- Darkness Affinity (Mid-Grade Minor Talent) 4- Wind Affinity (Low-Rank Minor Talent) 5- Fire Affinity (High-Rank Minor Talent) [Cultivation Technique- Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art, Chaos Body Refinement Technique(81st Revolution- Completed), Radiant Lotus Cultivation Art, Inferno Smithing Technique] [Techniques- Heaven and Earth Severence, Basic Sword Style, Mountain Smashing Fist, Falling Leaves sh, Wind Breaker Palm, Reaper Cleave, Earth Cutting Saber, Flowing Water Spear, Lightfoot Technique, Radiant Lotus sh, Luminous Shadow Step...] [Intents:] [Weapon Intents: Second Level Sword Intent Second Level Saber Intent Second Level Bow Intent Second Level Halbred Intent Second Level Axe Intent Second Level Spear Intent Second Level Scythe Intent ...] [Elemental Intents: First Level Fire Intent] [Chaos Coins-1,300,000] [System Shop] [Inventory] [Rtionship] [Battle Power- Unknown] [Harem Connect] [Dual Cultivation Chamber] Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow in surprise as he saw the status screen. "Heir of Inferno Smith? Is that the creator of the cultivation technique that I got inside the Mystique Realm?" [Yes, he was one of the gre¡ª] "Stop, stop! I don''t want to hear about him. I feel like I''ll be burdened with an unnecessary task if I hear about his final wishes or something," Shen Yuan hurriedly interrupted Yue Lan to avoid hearing what she wanted to say. Yue Lan''s tail twitched as she felt like smacking Shen Yuan, but she held back and just shook her head. [I don''t want to bother with you,] shey down again and closed her eyes, while Shen Yuan looked further down the panel. "Abyssal Seed... it''s probably due to the Abyssal Qi inside me. Sigh, what will I do with it?" Shen Yuan lightly nced down, hoping for Yue Lan to point out a way for him, but she continued to lie down with her eyes closed. He sighed and continued browsing through the panel. "Hmm? My Fire Affinity got improved? Must be due to the effects of the cultivation technique. I didn''t suffer all those blows for nothing after all." Shen Yuan smiled, feeling that the beatdown was worth it. "Oh damn, I forgot that I have mastered the Radiant Lotus sh and Luminous Shadow Step. The only worthy enemy that I faced inside the Mystique Realm to make me use techniques was the Realm Guardian, but I killed him with the Severance Technique." Shen Yuan thought for a while about what to do with these and, in the end, he gave up. "Well, I''ll just use the essence of these techniques to create better and stronger techniques in the future." He made up his mind about them, as their level wasn''t enough to satisfy his growing power. "Wait, I learned the Fire Intent already?" Shen Yuan''s eyes shed with surprise as he raised his hand and concentrated to make a ball of fire. It soon lit up in his hand as he opened his eyes to see it. "Nah, not this one. This is my alchemy fire." He shook his hand to extinguish the fire and concentrated again as he looked inside his Sea of Consciousness for the Inferno Smithing Technique. "There!" His eyes lit up as his will closed in on the rune of the technique and touched it. His hand lit up on fire as he utilized his First Level Fire Intent. He pulled his consciousness out and observed the fire. "Good, with this, my alchemy skills will reach a new level," he thought as he utilized his alchemy mes together with his First Level Fire Intent. SIZZ The intensity of the fire increased as it seemed purer than before. The heat became stronger, but his control over the mes grew sharper. He soon shook his head and put away the fire. "I can mix the Fire Intent with my Weapon Intents to bring out devastating effects, but I will need to condense the fire for cksmithing as well. The alchemy fire is far too tame for that work." He closed his eyes as he thought about his future ns. "Hmm, maybe I should look for that ce in the sectter." He nced downward to see thest remaining tabs, but his eyes twitched as he saw the remaining Chaos Coins in the system panel. "Lan''er, my sweet Lan''er." He gave the most affectionate smile he could muster as he nced down at her. Yue Lan felt a shiver run down her spine as her hair stood up. She hurriedly jumped away from hisp and looked at him vigntly. [Wh-What do you want?] "Why am I missing 136,000 Chaos Coins from my inventory?" he asked as he turned his head to face her with that same smile. His hand twitched as he felt like reaching out to her. [Oh, that. Phew. You scared me for a second,] Yue Lan released a sigh of relief as she jumped back onto hisp andy down before continuing. [Do you think Yuxin is living in the Dual Cultivation Chamber free of charge? And Bing Rong as well.] Shen Yuan''s eyes twitched as he had indeed forgotten that the Dual Cultivation Chamber uses Chaos Coins to stay inside. He exhaled a long breath as he slumped back on his chair and looked at the fleeting clouds. "Whatever, I can just earn more Chaos Coins after dual cultivating with Big Sisters." Chapter 206: Treasure Pavilion [What will you do now? Cultivate to reach the Peak of Inner Sea Realm or head inside the Inner Sect?] Yue Lan curiously asked as her body began to slowly fade away. Shen Yuan nced down to see her slowly fade away and returning to his Sea of Consciousness, "I will head to the Inner Sect now. No point in living in inferior ces when I can go to the Inner Sect where everything is of higher grade. Even the Qi is purer due to formations." Yue Lan returned to his Sea of Consciousness as her voice echoed inside his head, [Well, good luck with whatever you do. I will go to sleep for now. Wasted too much energy in my solid form outside.] Shen Yuan nodded his head and stood up as he felt the gentle warm wind blowing on his face. The cherry blossom petals continued dropping as he had a sudden thought. He took out a solid block of metal and started attacking it with his finger using various Weapon Intents. Sword, Spear, Saber, Bow, Halberd, Scythe... He continued attacking until the block of solid metal was riddled with deep marks, but it still didn''t break as it was a Peak Dao Forming Core Stage material. "Let''s leave this piece of metal to whoever will inherit this courtyard after me," Shen Yuan thought with a smile as he moved the block of metal beside the tree and took out a signboard. ''Help me take care of the Plum Blossom Tree; as a token of appreciation, you canprehend the Intents from this block of metal. From Shen Yuan.'' He hung the signboard on the tree as he wrote the entire sentence with his Fire Intent but hid it subtly so only those who spent a considerable time beneath the tree would be able to find it. He dusted his hands and began walking towards the exit in white robes. ... "Look, look, is that Senior Brother Shen Yuan?" "Kyaa! It''s really Senior Brother Shen Yuan." "I heard he saved our Senior Sisters who went to the Mystique Realm ahead of him." ... Shen Yuan didn''t hear the discussion of the disciples as he headed towards the Treasure Pavilion to check out for stuff there and see if there was anything worthwhile. He headed inside one portal after another until he reached his destination. He saw a massive building with lotuses engraved all over it. "Treasure Pavilion, huh," he muttered to himself softly and walked towards the gate. The disciples guarding the gate looked at him with respectful eyes and didn''t stop him as he walked past them. ''Hmm, have the things which I had done inside the Mystique Realm spread already? Is that why everyone is looking at me like that?'' He thought to himself as he stepped inside the Treasure Pavilion. His eyes adjusted to the warm glow of the surroundings as he saw arge disy of treasures lined up all over the ce. The vast pavilion had a lot of disciplesing and going as the working disciples took care of the rest of the work. The shelves held arge variety of items, ranging from ancient scrolls, bottles of pills, weapons, techniques, and other unknown treasures. Each item released a unique aura befitting that of a treasure; some pulsed gently with a vibrant life aura, while some radiated intense murderous aura. He wandered over to the weapons section first. Looking around for a while, he saw various types of weapons. "Hmm, the Fallen Wind Sword," he murmured, reading the que beneath it. "Amplifies water elemental techniques. Notpatible with my Fire Intent." He moved on, examining the spears next. He saw a wide variety of them as well¡ªflexible spears, hard spears, long spears, and many more. He moved his gaze away to see the seemingly endless section of weapons as he shook his head and thought, ''Why even bother? I don''t need any weapons for now, and my current ones are already good enough for me as they are of higher quality than these as well.'' He left the weapon section and moved directly towards the techniques section. ''There are much lower techniquespared to the weapons,'' he thought to himself as he leaned forward to read one of the ques. ''Thunder God''s Mantra.'' Shen Yuan''s lips twitched as he read the name. He picked up the technique manual and gave it a rough read before putting it back and thinking, ''How fucking arrogant, these guys really give any bullshit names to their techniques. Those novels were correct; weaker cultivators give grand names to their pathetic techniques to make them sound stronger.'' He continued looking through the technique section to see if what he was looking for was among the techniques or not. He chuckled to himself from time to time reading the technique names. "Celestial Dragon''s Breath" "Nine Heavens Ice Stomp" "Eternal Lotus Palm" "Searing Phoenix Talon" "Heavenly Tiger Roar" With each technique, Shen Yuan grew increasingly amused and annoyed, finding most of them to be impractical for his cultivation with exaggerated names. He skimmed through a few more: "Divine Lotus Bloom," "Thousand Shadow Steps," and "Serpent''s Whisper." Each of them sounded like a heaven-defying skill, but they were either bad or ipatible with his existing affinities. ''Sigh, looks like it was a wasted trip,'' Shen Yuan shook his head as he began leaving the Treasure Pavilion, but before he could leave, a disciple came closer and greeted him with a smile. "Greetings, Senior Brother Shen Yuan." It was one of the Treasure Pavilion disciples who took care of disciples inside the pavilion. Shen Yuan nodded his head in greeting and stopped in his ce to see what she had to say. "May I know what you are looking for?" she asked with a smile and continued to exin herself, "I heard from my superiors that you have been awarded any three treasures from the Outer Sect Treasure Pavilion or a single treasure from the Inner Sect." Shen Yuan nodded his head and asked what he was looking for, "Can I find¡ª" "Oh my, is that you, Senior Brother Shen Yuan?" someone''s cheerful voice sounded as a beautiful woman came from behind the weapon section towards Shen Yuan. He turned around to see Chen Yue walking slowly towards him, "Hmm? I thought you were going to enter into seclusion after leaving with Big Sis Huo Rong." Chen Yue came closer to him and smiled lightly, "I was going to enter as well, but I needed these pills to break through, so I used my reward to get them." Shen Yuan tilted his head in confusion, "Why didn''t you ask for them from Big Sis? I''m sure she has many such pills which she has no use for. It would have been better if you had taken them." Chen Yue blushed slightly as she lowered her head. Shen Yuan raised a brow in understanding as he continued, "Surprisingly you are shy to ask her for these things, huh. Well, never mind, we will have a talk about thister." He turned back to the pavilion disciple and said, "Looks like the stuff here is only for Outer Sect disciples. I will look for what I need inside the Inner Sect Treasure Pavilionter." The disciple gracefully gave him a bow in respect, "Have a good day, Senior Brother." Chapter 207: Inner Sect Shen Yuan nodded his head and turned back to Chen Yue, "Now that you have gotten the pill for your breakthrough, you can go ahead and enter seclusion as well with the others." Chen Yue curiously tilted her head and asked, "If you don''t mind me asking, what will you do now, Senior Brother?" "I will head for the Inner Sect as well since I have already broken through to the Inner Sea realm," Shen Yuan replied as he began walking towards the exit since he hadn''t found what he came here to look for. Chen Yue hurriedly followed after him, "Ah, Senior Brother, let me apany you to the Inner Sect. I have been there for a while now and know the routes of the ce." Shen Yuan hesitated briefly but soon nodded his head as they both took portals towards the center of the Sect where the Inner Sect was located. "Halt!" But a group of disciples stopped them at one point as they looked at Chen Yue first before shifting their gaze to Shen Yuan. "Senior Brother Shen Yuan," they respectfully cupped their fists before asking, "Have you broken through to the Inner Sea Realm?" Shen Yuan''s eyes shed with surprise as he didn''t expect these mere disciples to see through his cultivation base at a nce, "Not bad, looks like you guys have quite a sharp eye¡ª" "Uh... It''s not like that, Senior Brother. Our superiors ordered us to let you pass when you came since they expected you toe after your breakthrough." One of the leading disciples hurriedly interrupted him and exined quickly with a slightly red face. "..." Shen Yuan and the disciples silently gazed at each other for a brief moment. "So anyways, I have broken through to the next realm and, as arranged, will go to the Inner Sect." Shen Yuan changed the subject wlessly as if he had mastered the Dao of bullshitting. The disciples heaved a sigh of relief as Shen Yuan changed the subject since it was getting awkward for them as well. On the other hand, Chen Yue barely managed to hold back herughter, but remembering Shen Yuan''s crazy strength, she was able to restrain herself. Shen Yuan lightly nced back, and that was enough to make Chen Yue stand straight up. The disciples guarding the portal made way for Shen Yuan as he paid them spirit stones and entered the portal for the Inner Sect. Chen Yue followed after him as they both vanished inside the portal. "His presence was terrifying," one of the disciples said as she put a hand on her chest. "That''s why he is one of the top candidates for the seat of Prime Disciple of our sect," the one who interacted with Shen Yuan said while looking at the portal. "Let''s just hope he doesn''t bring cmity to our sect," one of the more peace-loving disciples murmured softly. ... Shen Yuan opened his eyes as he felt the increased Qi density in the surroundings, as well as the strength of the disciples which had been massively improved. The worst cultivation base among the disciples that he could see was at the Origin Core Creation Realm; not a single one of them was at the Inner Sea realm, as most disciples in the Inner Sea realm cultivate in seclusion to change their Qi from gaseous to liquid. But due to Shen Yuan''s actions, he had gathered a lot more than the average disciples at once, but he would also have to let his body rest for a few days before he can start again. "Isn''t this ce much better than the Outer Sect?" Chen Yue came from behind him and asked. "I was looking at the cultivation bases of the disciples here and realized that you have one of the weakest cultivation bases. Why don''t you go into seclusion to break through first?" Shen Yuanmented with a smile as he nced back to see her. Chen Yue''s lips twitched, "That''s because most of them are a lot older than me; nearly none of them have the same cultivation base as me at my age." Shen Yuan chuckled softly, "Alright, alright, I will believe what you say." "What? You don''t believe me?" Chen Yue looked at him in the eye and asked as if a cat had its tail stepped on. Shen Yuan shook his head and started to walk again. "Where are you going now?" Chen Yue caught up with him and asked. "To meet up with one of the elders and tell them that I have broken through to the next level," he replied while walking forward as the surrounding disciples looked at him with mixed emotions; some looked at him with doubt, some with admiration, while some had loathing gazes. But Shen Yuan didn''t look at any of them as he walked towards the administration hall of the Inner Sect. "Let me show you that ce," Chen Yue said cheerfully as she took the lead and took him towards the administration hall. Shen Yuan followed after her while feeling the atmosphere; the Qi was at least ten times denser than the Outer Sect. He also felt that theprehension of intents had be smoother aftering here. ''Looks like there is something more than just formations; that alone can''t have the effect of increasing theprehension speed of cultivators. And this...'' He closed his eyes for a second as he tried to look deeper into the essence flowing around him, and he was soon hit with a realization, ''Light intent... I see, so the core Intent of this sect is Light Dao.'' Just as he was about to deduce it further, Chen Yue''s voice echoed from the front, "Here we are, this is the administration hall." Shen Yuan came out from his thoughts and raised his head to look at the administration hall. It was a giant building with simple decorations; he didn''t think much as he stepped forward to enter inside of it. Chen Yue followed after him as they both entered the hall. "Shen Yuan, what brings you here?" a voice sounded from the side, making Shen Yuan turn his head to see Lan Rui walking towards him. "Elder Lan Rui," Shen Yuan and Chen Yue greeted her as she came closer. "Aw, no need to greet me so formally, you are my good friend''s brother and disciple. We are practically a family at this point." Lan Rui smiled brightly as she came forward and stood in front of Shen Yuan and Chen Yue. "That might be the case but we still need to adhere to thews of the sect, and respecting one''s seniors is one of them," Shen Yuan calmly replied. "Haha, how wise of you. So, for what reason did youe here?" Lan Ruiughed slightly as she followed up with a question. Shen Yuan said, "I have broken through to the Inner Sea Realm and, as per the Sect Leader''s arrangement, havee here to take the Inner Sect Disciple identity token." Shen Yuan formally announced his reason foring here, which made Lan Rui raise an eyebrow, "So fast? I remember Huo Rong told me that you were only at the starting stages of Foundation Establishment Realmst month." Chapter 208: Accommodations Shen Yuan smiled but didn''t borate further. Lan Rui also didn''t press the matter further as she turned around and started walking towards one of the rooms inside the Hall. "Anyways,e with me. Let me handle your promotion to the Inner Sect." Her voice came soon after as both Shen Yuan and Chen Yue followed after her. "I didn''t know that you knew Elder Lan Rui as well," Chen Yue softly whispered to him while walking some distance away from Lan Rui. Shen Yuan looked at Lan Rui first before whispering back to Chen Yue, "She seems like a good friend of my Big Sisters. So she can be considered as your Martial Aunt as well." Chen Yue seriously considered his words as they soon came before Lan Rui''s personal room. "Here we are, let''s head inside and finish your promotion." Lan Rui turned around and spoke with a smile. Shen Yuan turned his head to see the door of the inner hall of Lan Rui. It was a simple door without any decorations; Shen Yuan followed after Lan Rui as she stepped inside after unlocking the gate. Once inside, Shen Yuan saw that the room was modestly furnished, with a few scrolls and artifacts neatly arranged on the shelves, and arge table set up in the middle of the room. Lan Rui moved towards the shelves and took out a dark jade medallion with the engraving of Inner Sect Disciple. It released a faint glow, indicating the presence of some intricate formations engraved upon it. "Here, Shen Yuan. This is the Inner Sect Disciple Identity token," she said as she utilized her Light Intent to engrave Shen Yuan''s name upon the token. "It''s imbued with a basicmunication formation and a map of the inner sect, so be sure to keep it on you at all times. It''ll grant you ess to most of the ces inside the sect. You will also be able to look at your contribution points through the token and your ranking on the Battle Rank," Lan Rui exined, holding out the token with a small smile. Shen Yuan looked at her for a second before taking the token while thinking to himself, ''Couldn''t she have exined it properly? Why the rush.'' "Thanks for the Identity Medallion, Elder Lan Rui," Shen Yuan thanked her with a smile. Lan Rui smiled sweetly, "Then, let Chen Yue see you around the Inner Sect, I have some more work to do." Shen Yuan nodded his head and turned around to leave together with Chen Yue who was silently standing in the back the entire time. "Let''s go and see the amodations now," Shen Yuan lightly said aftering outside of the registration hall. Chen Yue nodded her head, "So, do you know where the amodations are?" Shen Yuan shook his head as he knew next to nothing about the Inner Sect. "Well, they are quite far from here. Let''s go through the spatial portals, we can reach the ce faster," Chen Yue softly said as she looked at Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan nodded his head and began walking whilementing, "Let''s go then, I need to see how better the amodations of Inner Sect Disciples arepared to Outer Sect." "Oh, you would be surprised to see that. We have mansions of our own here; we can also take servants from the Sacred Lotus City to do our daily tasks for us. The Mansions all have formations to iste sound and gather the Qi for cultivation..." Chen Yue continued talking, telling him about the various benefits the Mansions give to the disciples. "Hmm, I see. Then what about the Battle Rank that Elder Lan Rui was talking about?" he asked lightly while continuing to walk. Chen Yue walked side by side with him, her eyes lit up at the mention of the Battle Rank, "Ah, that, it''s the ranking of the strongest Inner Sect Disciples. A disciple can challenge someone of a higher level than himself on the rank for a higher position; the higher your rank on the list, the better rewards you will get monthly." Shen Yuan nodded his head while Chen Yue continued, "You will begin at the bottom rank and will have to fight your way up, and only the top 100 Inner Sect disciples can join the list; otherwise, it will be too crowded." "I understand," Shen Yuan rubbed his chin while thinking about it, "What do you think the reaction of the disciples would be if I defeated the first-ranked disciple and upied that rank tomorrow?" Chen Yue''s eyes widened as she turned her head and looked at Shen Yuan in disbelief, "Se-Senior Brother, are you truly that powe¡ª" "Hypothetically, let''s say I can," Shen Yuan interrupted her and added to his words. Chen Yue calmed down as she realized he was just randomly asking that question; she thought for some time before answering, "If you truly did that, then I guess most disciples won''t be able to stomach that news since they see the top-ranking disciples as their idols. And a lot of Inner Sect disciples still consider you an outsider." Shen Yuan''s mind spun as he also came to that conclusion; he wanted to spread his influence, but doing it too quickly would have the opposite effect to what he wanted. "Looks like thatpetition will be crucial for my standing inside the sect," he softly muttered to himself. "Hmm? Did you say something, Senior Brother?" Chen Yue asked him curiously. "Nothing, let''s go see my amodation for now." Shen Yuan shook his head and continued walking. Chen Yue followed after him as they entered one portal after another. ... "This ce looks like a painting," Shen Yuanmented as he looked at the wonderful scenery in front of him. "Of course, this is the ce where most of the Inner Disciples spend their time cultivating in seclusion if they aren''t outside the sect doing missions," Chen Yue proudlymented as if the entire ce was her own. "The density of Qi here is even higher than the administration hall," Shen Yuan felt the Qi density in the air andmented lightly. "We have a lot of formations engraved all over the ce to gather Qi. Disciples also buy them in the marketce to set up inside their own mansions for cultivation," Chen Yue told him. "Hmm, but those formations are inferior to the ones which are made by Formation Masters themselves. Where you can cultivate with a higher quality Qi which is much more refined and purified by the formations than the ones you can find in the market." Shen Yuanmented. "But they are expensive as well, most of the disciples can''t afford that while sustaining their cultivation." Chen Yue shook her head. "Being born into poverty is not a choice, but staying there is," Shen Yuan sighed and said while staring at the lines of mountains and mansions spanning as far as his vision could see. It was a picturesquendscape, with each mountain having a few mansions, while there were countless such mountains. Rivers were flowing between the mountains as disciples could be seen training or going to do missions among them. Shen Yuan silently took in the scenery as he felt the serene atmosphere quite to his liking. Chapter 209: Mission Hall Both of them continued walking on the path toward the mansions as Chen Yue silently contemted Shen Yuan''s words. ''Hmm, it''s been quite some time since I met up with Qingyu. I will look for herter now that I''m inside the Inner Sect,'' he thought while looking for his own mansion. Chen Yue raised her head; she saw both of them aimlessly walking around. "Oh, by the way, you can look into your Inner Sect identity medallion. There should be a map of the inner sect as well as the location of your mansion." Shen Yuan took out his identity medallion from his storage ring and sent his Qi inside to project the map of the sect above his hand. "I see, so it works like a hologram," Shen Yuan said to himself as he looked at the infrastructure of the sect. "Hmm? Hologram? What is that?" Chen Yue curiously asked as it was the first time she had heard this word. Shen Yuan shook his head. "It''s nothing. Let''s go and check out my mansion." Chen Yue nodded her head and followed after him. They crossed a few bridges as they moved through the rivers and mountains. The other Inner Disciples looked at Shen Yuan as they discussed his presence here, but no one went to question him as they could see the Inner Sect Medallion on him. And they had heard about him as well. His reputation had soared recently due to his excellent achievements in the Mystique Realm. Shen Yuan didn''t stop anywhere as he soon reached the mansion that was assigned to him by the sect. Chen Yue looked at it as shemented in astonishment, "The entire Inner Sect has nearly identical mansions, but disciples can change them to their preference after getting them. But yours..." Shen Yuan looked at the mansion before him. It was a spacious structure made of smooth white stone and wood, enhanced with intricate carvings of lotus flowers and flowing patterns that symbolized the sect. A wide path led up to the main building, which was nked by two smaller buildings that could serve as guest quarters or additional training spaces. But what truly captured his attention was the expansive garden surrounding the mansion. Lush greenery and carefully arranged flowers bloomed all over the ce. There were stone pathwaysid down throughout the garden, leading to various serene spots perfect for meditation or just spending some rxing time. "This tree..." Shen Yuan began as his gaze rested at the heart of the garden, where a majestic plum blossom tree stood. Its branches stretched wide, adorned with delicate pink and white blossoms that fluttered gently with the wind. "It''s simr to the tree in your previous courtyard, right?" Chen Yue stepped forward and spoke lightly with a smile as she looked at the surprised look on Shen Yuan''s face. "Yes, it''s just dozens of times bigger than thest one," Shen Yuan agreed as he walked through the entrance. "It''s really quite a good mansion, suitable to cultivate the gentle cultivation method of the sect." Shen Yuan appreciated the atmosphere of the mansion while walking towards the tree. "Yes, it''s quite nice here. All of the disciples have such trees. We have a wide range of species of trees, but you get a plum blossom tree both times. Looks like you have quite the fate with them," Chen Yue joked as she followed after him. Shen Yuan chuckled softly, "This is quite a nice ce for me to drink." "That''s the first thing you think of after looking at the plum blossom tree?" Chen Yue shook her head. "Anyways, let''s take a look at the mansion," Shen Yuan said as he began walking to the main building. ... "It''s quite a neat ce. I will have others decorate itter," Shen Yuan said as he sat in the main hall after looking through the entire mansion. Chen Yue stood up from her seat. "Then I will take my leave now, Senior Brother." Shen Yuan smiled in amusement as he said, "I didn''t mean that I would have you decorate this ce." "Ah no, you misunderstand. I''m not leaving due to that," Chen Yue hurriedly exined. "I need to enter seclusion to break through to the Origin Core Creation Realm now." Shen Yuan shook his head. "I was just kidding. Go ahead and enter seclusion. I need to sort a few things as well." Chen Yue bowed slightly before taking her leave. "Now, what should I do?" Shen Yuan sat on his chair as he thought about his next course of action. "I have a month until thepetition, but..." His mind focused as he thought about one issue. "Information... I''m sorelycking in information." He raised his hand and a small projection of the Ancestral Pagoda appeared in his hand. "I still can''t control it properly. I might have to break through to the Extreme Origin Core Realm to be able to manifest this pagoda." He shook his hand and dispelled the projection of the pagoda. "Alright, now how do I gather information?" He thought aloud. "For that n, I need this pagoda, but... hmm, I can still make the basic infrastructure of it." Shen Yuan continued thinking about the n he had before for the pagoda as his eyes shined brightly. "Good, I will do that for now," he thought with an excited smile on his face. Standing up, he looked towards the direction of the Mission Hall. He exited his mansion and walked towards the spatial portal. "Let''s go and choose a mission first." He stretched his hand while walking. ... "Hmm, this ce is quite crowded," Shen Yuan said, looking at the busy Mission Hall, where disciples wereing and going in droves while collecting their rewards as well as epting missions. Shen Yuan went up behind a counter and stood in line. The surrounding disciples gave him weird gazes as they were not used to the presence of a male in the mission hall. "Hey, is that the disciple who only took a month to go from an Outer Sect Disciple to an Inner Sect Disciple?" "Yes, that''s the only male cultivator we have after all. It''s hard to miss news about him." "What he did inside the Mystique Realm was legendary. He alone dominated the entirepetition and helped his junior sisters to gain various opportunities." "How lucky." ... Shen Yuan smiled lightly at their discussion but didn''t respond. The disciples in front of the line also nced back from time to time to see him. The line continued moving forward despite the disturbance that Shen Yuan created. Soon, his turn came as the disciple giving out missions looked at him with a smile and asked, "What type of mission would you like to take, Disciple Shen Yuan?" "It''s my first time at the Mission Hall. Can you introduce me to how to take missions and what types of missions there are?" Shen Yuan politely asked as he didn''t know the first thing about the mission hall or how things work here. The disciple answered with the same professional smile, "Then let''s talk about the types of missions. There are mainly two types of missions: long-term missions and short-term missions." Chapter 210: Accepting a Mission "How long is the time frame for both types of missions?" Shen Yuan asked. "Generally, the short missions are for a few days to a week, and long-term missions start from a week to a few months." The disciple paused, looking at Shen Yuan for any possible questions. "Hmm, can you give me a few examples for both types?" Shen Yuan continued asking. "Certainly. Hunting down bandits or simr taskses under short-term missions since you can get the job done quickly. But since our sect is special, most of the time we get tasks of healing others. And most disciples prefer those tasks as well," the disciple answered. "Wait, so we have a stockpile of such missions like killing the bandits?" Shen Yuan interrupted her as he thought of something. "We indeed have a small stockpile of such missions, but elders clear them from time to time since we can''t let such vile criminals roam ournd freely," she answered again. "Hmm, alright. Give me an example of long-term missions," Shen Yuan asked. "Missions of guarding a city or going to a faraway city for healing purposese under long-term missions." She paused to let him understand it better and soon continued, "So, which type of mission do you want to take?" Shen Yuan thought hard for a second. "Is there a mission to protect someone who is being targeted by an assassin organization or something simr?" The disciple''s face lit up as she quickly nodded her head. "We in fact do have a lot of those missions. The number of people being killed daily by assassins is not low after all." "Perfect. Give me a short-term mission from that list." Shen Yuan finally smiled as he found what he was looking for. "Alright, give me a minute." The disciple went inside to take a few documents out. Shen Yuan patiently waited as she soon returned with three neatly written scrolls, each tied with a colorful ribbon to denote their urgency and level of difficulty. "Here, I found three missions for you to choose from." Shen Yuan took the scrolls and inspected them briefly before unrolling the first one. Mission 1: Protect the Merchant''s Daughter Objective: Escort and protect a merchant''s daughter on her journey from Radiant Lotus City to Silver Mist Valley. Threat Level: Moderate (Known activity from a mid-level assassin group, no confirmed cultivators above Origin Core Creation Realm) Reward: 500 Contribution Points and a vial of Spirit Condensing Elixir. Duration: 3 days. Shen Yuan nced at the reward andmented lightly, "Not bad, but nothing extraordinary. Let''s see the next one." He opened the second scroll. Mission 2: Defend the Healer''s Caravan Objective: Protect a caravan of healers transporting rare medicinal herbs to the Sacred Valley Sanctuary. The caravan has been targeted by a well-known assassin group called the Silver Fox Sect. Threat Level: High (Confirmed involvement of Origin Core Realm expert assassins and possible Extreme Origin Core Realm experts.) Reward: 1,200 Contribution Points, a high-grade Qi Gathering Array te, and a bottle of Radiant Qi Essence. Duration: 1 week. "Hmm, the rewards are good," Shen Yuan muttered, his eyes flickering with interest. "But a week is longer than I was hoping for. Let''s check thest one. And if it is not good..." He opened the third scroll. Mission 3: Eliminate the Threat to Schr Wen Objective: Protect Schr Wen, a renowned historian who is being hunted by the Shadow Crane Sect for an artifact in his possession. The schr is currently hiding in a remote vige near Crimson Edge Forest. The mission requires eliminating the assassins if encountered. Threat Level: Moderate (Unknown number of assassins; reports suggest a high probability of Origin Core Realm cultivators leading the group) Reward: 800 Contribution Points, a Heaven''s Insight Jade Slip (boostsprehension speed temporarily), and a customized weapon upgrade voucher. Duration: 5 days. "Hmm, this one is not what I was looking for." His gaze moved back to the second mission, staring intently at it for a bit as he thought of how he could end it faster. "Alright, I will take this second mission," Shen Yuan said as he gave back the other two mission scrolls while keeping the second one with him. "Uh, are you sure? You only recently joined the Inner Sect, so your cultivation base should still be in the Inner Sea Realm," the disciple asked with slight worry in her voice. "Oh? But wasn''t it you who gave me the mission scrolls?" Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow as he asked since he couldn''t guess why she gave the scrolls if she didn''t want him to take on the mission. "I can''t do anything about it; it''s the sect rules. We have to give disciples whatever missions they want. If they overestimate themselves, then it would only be their own fault. They need to learn from their mistakes," the disciple shook her head. "Worry not. I have enough treasures to at least ensure my own safety. And I''m quite confident in my own strength as well," Shen Yuan reassured her with a smile. The disciple hesitated for a moment, but seeing Shen Yuan''s confidence, she finally nodded and retrieved a stamp to mark his eptance of the mission. She ced the official sect seal on the mission scroll and handed it back to him. "Alright, Disciple Shen Yuan, the mission is officially yours. Please be cautious; the Silver Fox Sect is known for their cunning and deceitful ways." Shen Yuan took the scroll and gave her a slight nod. "Thank you for the reminder. I''ll handle it carefully. Though I''m not sure who will be the unlucky one at the end of the mission." He turned around with a smile and began walking towards the exit of the Mission Hall. The chatter among the disciples grew louder as they heard about what mission he took. "Did he really just take on a mission involving the Silver Fox Sect?" "That''s a high-risk mission for a new Inner Sect Disciple. Even some of the older disciples would hesitate to ept it." "But it''s Shen Yuan. Didn''t you hear what he aplished in the Mystique Realm? He''s not just any disciple." Shen Yuan smirked faintly as he caught bits and pieces of their conversation but didn''t stop or respond again. Once outside the hall, he activated his Inner Sect Identity Medallion to check the mission''s detailed location. A glowing map projected in front of him, marking the caravan''s current position and its intended route to Sacred Valley Sanctuary. "So they''ll be crossing the Moonlit Ravine. That''s the most likely spot for an ambush," Shen Yuan muttered to himself. He studied the terrain carefully before confirming the details about the Silver Fox Sect that he had heard when he first arrived in the Sacred Lotus City. [So you chose this mission because of the Silver Fox Sect, huh.] Yue Lan''s voice echoed inside his head. "Oh? You rested enough now?" Shen Yuan asked back as he heard her voice. [Don''t change the subject, hmph.] "Anyways, let''s go to the city." With his n taking shape, he headed towards the sect''s teleportation array to make his way to Radiant Lotus City. "It''s pretty good that the Inner Sect has a teleportation array connected directly to the Sacred Lotus City." Chapter 211: Master Qui He gave the required Spirit Stones and left for the city through the Spatial Portal. ... The bustling city was alive with activity as merchants, cultivators, andmoners went about their business. Shen Yuan soon arrived at the designated meeting ce, arge courtyard filled with wagons loaded with crates of herbs and guarded by a small group of cultivators. A middle-aged woman in green robes approached him, her eyes filled with confusion. "May I ask who you are and what business you have with our group?" Shen Yuan looked at the woman for a second before responding, "I epted the task of protecting this caravan on its way towards the Sacred Valley Sanctuary from my sect." The middle-aged woman thought for a second. "But we didn''t give that mission to any other sect than the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect." "Yes, that''s why I''m here," Shen Yuan affirmed again. The middle-aged woman grew more confused as she sharply looked at Shen Yuan. "Lad, no need to lie to me. I might be getting old, but I still know that no male disciple is allowed inside the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect." Shen Yuan shook his head and took out the mission paper that he had received from the sect. "Here, have a look at this." The middle-aged woman suspiciously took the scroll from his hand and unfurled it, her eyes quickly scanning the entire document. She took a deep breath as she looked at him again. She bowed slightly while apologizing, "My apologies for being presumptuous in knowing something that I had no knowledge of. Let me formally introduce myself; I''m known as Master Qiu, the leader of this caravan." Shen Yuan nodded his head. "Looks like they exined my situation in the mission scroll. Anyway, my name is Shen Yuan. I''ve already been briefed about the situation here. How many guards do you guys have?" "We have five guards, all at the Origin Core Creation Realm, but none of them are specialized inbat. Most are here for their experience in escort missions and to learn some healing techniques from the healers," Master Qiu admitted with a hint of concern in her voice. "We''ve also hired a mercenary at the Extreme Origin Core Realm for added protection," she finished speaking. Shen Yuan''s eyes flickered with interest. "A mercenary? Where is this individual?" Master Qiu gestured towards a figure leaning casually against a wagon. It was a tall woman with short silver hair and piercing green eyes. "Ah, so you asked for additional help," the woman said as she walked over, her toneced with a mix of curiosity and amusement. "I''m Lian Fang, the mercenary assigned to this caravan. And I didn''t know that the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect had started to take in male disciples." "I''m Shen Yuan, an Inner Sect disciple of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect. And no, they have not started taking in male disciples; I went through the Trial Pagoda and cleared it to gain entry." Lian Fang''s eyes widened in disbelief. "Impossible! You actuallypleted that impossible trial which no one had been able to do since the founding of the sect?" "Um, what are you talking about?" Master Qiu asked as she had little knowledge about the sect due to her low cultivation base. Lian Fang tried topose herself, as this was truly not something she was expecting to hear today. "The trial... it''s one of the well-known trials of the Eastern Deste Region. No one in the history of the sect has been able to clear it. But he... now it makes sense¡ªthat''s the only way a male disciple can join that sect." Shen Yuan smiled lightly and turned his head back to Master Qiu. "So, when will we leave?" "Ah yes, we were just waiting for you. Now that you are here, we will leave shortly," Master Qiu quickly said, as her own respect rose upon hearing Lian Fang''s words. Shen Yuan nodded and went towards the horses to take a look. They were the average quality horses that you can rent from within the city, but Shen Yuan wasn''t satisfied with them as he looked back at Lian Fang. "How much time do you think we can save if we upgrade these horses to Northern Wind Horses?" he lightly asked. Lian Fang felt faint at heart as she heard about the most expensive horses that were avable on the market. "Why do you need those? They are so overpriced. We might save a lot of time, but each one of themes at an astronomical value, and we would need like a dozen of them; otherwise, the normal ones will slow us down." "So, how much time will we save?" Shen Yuan repeated his question. Lian Fang got silent for a bit as she made some calctions before replying, "We can finish the journey in around four days¡ªtwo for reaching that ce and two foring back." Shen Yuan nodded his head. "Good, then we will take them." "Impossible, the caravan members are not rich eno¡ª" Before she could finish her words, Shen Yuan interrupted her. "Tell me the price of them." She got silent for a bit, but her eyes soon widened in disbelief. "Wait, you will pay¡ª" She closed her mouth as she saw Shen Yuan getting impatient with her. "A single Northern Wind Horse is priced at 10,000 Mid-Tier Spirit Stones per day or a million Low-Tier Spirit Stones. And we would need at least 15 of them for four days..." She choked as she realized the astronomical amount it was reaching. The amount was even higher than what she earned in a year. "So, around 600,000 Mid-Tier Spirit Stones or 60,000,000 Low-Tier Spirit Stones," Shen Yuan thought for a second as he took out an empty storage ring and put 600,000 Mid-Tier Spirit Stones in it. "No, you would need at least 80 million Low-Tier Spirit Stones, as the conversion value is not the same everywhere," Lian Fang still reminded him. "Matters not, here, take them and go with a few guards to get the horses. You can do at least that much, right?" Shen Yuan tossed the storage ring toward her while instructing on what to do. Lian Fang caught the storage ring and scanned it with her Qi before her eyes widened, but she didn''t lose herposure as she had expected something like this to happen. She raised her head and nodded towards Shen Yuan before leaving with a few guards. Master Qiu soon returned as she looked at Shen Yuan in disbelief. "Y-You didn''t have to spend so much money for our sake." Shen Yuan shook his head. "It was not for you. I want to get this mission finished as soon as possible, and that little amount of Spirit Stones is nothing for me." Master Qiu took a deep breath and nodded towards Shen Yuan. "It is our honor to have you with us for this journey." Shen Yuan smiled lightly and didn''t reject her words. ... Soon, Lian Fang returned with 15 Northern Wind Horses. She had calmed down by now as she hurriedly came towards Shen Yuan. "Young Master Yuan, it was so exciting to spend so many Spirit Stones at once." Her eyes shined brightly as she eximed. Chapter 212: Mei Xue Shen Yuan smiled and looked towards the majestic Northern Wind Horses, who stood proudly in a line, their silvery white coats shimmering under the sunlight. Their intelligent eyes reflected their inherent superiority. Each horse exuded a powerful aura that indicated their enhanced stamina and speed. Shen Yuan approached the horses, gently patting the neck of the lead stallion, who neighed softly in response. "Good. These will do nicely," he said with an approving nod. The guards and other caravan members gathered around, their expressions filled with awe and disbelief. For most of them, this was their first time seeing such rare and expensive creatures up close. Master Qiu couldn''t help but shake her head in amazement. "These horses... their speed and endurance are unmatched. I''ve heard stories about them, but seeing them in person is truly something else." Shen Yuan turned to Lian Fang, who stood nearby with a faintly smug look on her face, as if the horses were her own property. "Have you ensured they''re properly equipped for the journey?" he asked as he came toward her. "Of course," Lian Fang replied, gesturing toward the horses. "I made sure the sellers provided the best equipment and gear. These beauties deserve nothing less. I also got food for them from that guy." "Good." Shen Yuan nodded. He then addressed the rest of the caravan. "Prepare the wagons. We leave immediately." The caravan guards scrambled to attach the Northern Wind Horses to the wagons while ensuring the cargo was securely loaded. Shen Yuan nodded his head as he saw them working. He stood at one side, observing the organized chaos with an air of detachment, his mind already anticipating the ambushes and possible opportunities that might lie ahead. Lian Fang approached him again, a curious glint in her eyes. "You''re surprisingly generous, Young Master Yuan. I doubt even the wealthy merchants of this city would be able to cough up such a huge amount at a moment''s notice. And you, on the other hand, are spending such a huge amount for merely saving some time." Shen Yuan gave her a sidelong nce and replied with a faint smirk, "Time is more valuable than Spirit Stones, especially for someone like me whose every day counts. Besides, I dislike unnecessary dys which can be solved with little spending." Lian Fang chuckled. "I can only respect your dedication to cultivation." As the caravan finally got ready to move, Master Qiu approached Shen Yuan with a polite bow. "We are all set, Young Master Yuan. Thank you again for your generosity. It seems we''ll be reaching our destination much faster than expected." Shen Yuan waved her off casually. "No need for thanks. Let''s just focus on reaching the Sacred Valley Sanctuary safely." Everyone got ready and boarded the wagons while Shen Yuan moved towards the lead horse. He gently patted the horse''s back and mounted it. The Northern Wind Horses neighed and began moving, their steps seeming to leave behind shimmering stars as the onlookers watched them with awe. ... As the caravan sped through the roads, Shen Yuan moved at the front with his horse. He casually nced around from time to time for any signs of possible danger. [You know you painted a bigger target on your back with this shy disy of yours?] Yue Lan''s voice echoed inside his head. ''I know that, and that''s why I chose these horses. It would be better if they attack us as soon as possible. And I still need to end this mission sooner. If I used the normal horses, then I would need a week to just reach the Sacred Valley Sanctuary.'' Shen Yuan exined his reasons as he was getting bored on the journey. [Hmm... you better be careful though. These bandits won''t be the same as thest ones you faced. The people of this region have a much higher cultivation base as well as ess to better cultivation techniques.] She cautioned Shen Yuan. ''Well, that is to be expected. And I''m ready for that as well. I won''t be as pathetic as I was against that Abyssal Being. And I''m sure I can now take on an Extreme Origin Core Realm genius. I want to test the limit of my strength as well, after all.'' [I''m excited to find out about that as well. Why don''t you go and fight someone in the Mortal Tribtion Realm?] Yue Lan mischievously said. Shen Yuan''s eyebrow twitched as he replied, ''You want to see me get killed or what? I''m sure I can''t handle a single blow from someone at that realm.'' [Aww, be more confident in yourself. But seriously, you can actually take on someone at that level if you pushed your cultivation to the extreme and train a few decades without breaking through and mastering all kinds of intents and techniques.] Yue Lan spoke seriously, yet it also held a hint of mischief. ''Like hell I want to spend that much time on this level; my cultivation would already be far higher than someone in the Mortal Tribtion Realm.'' He shook his head, and his focus shifted as he saw one of the healers from the caravan approaching him on her horse. The healer was a young woman dressed in soft green robes embroidered with lotus patterns, her demeanor exuding calmness and grace. Her brown hair tied back in a simple braid, and her kind, steady eyes met Shen Yuan''s with a polite smile. "Excuse me, Young Master Yuan," she began, her voice as soothing as a gentle stream. "I wanted to personally thank you for your generosity in arranging these magnificent horses. Without them, this journey would have been much longer and more difficult." Shen Yuan nodded slightly, acknowledging her gratitude. "It''s nothing. I''m helping myself as well. I want to end this mission as soon as possible to take care of some other work, since from the looks of it, that will take much more time." The healer seemed slightly taken aback by his straightforwardness but quickly regained herposure. "Even so, we''re deeply grateful. My name is Mei Xue, by the way, and I''m the leader of the group of healers. If you or any of the guards need healing during the journey, please don''t hesitate to find me." Shen Yuan looked at her briefly with amusement. Though her cultivation base was not that high, around the Inner Sea Realm, her aura was steady and pure, which means one of two things: She didn''t want to use pills to have a steady foundation, or she was too poor to afford pills for cultivation. Shen Yuan teasingly said, "Are you forgetting which sect I belong to?" Mei Xue looked at him with confusion for a bit, but her face soon turned red as she lowered her head. "M-My apologies, I forgot that you were a disciple of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect. It was presumptuous of me to show my meager skills in front of you." Shen Yuan shook his head while chuckling. "It''s the thought that counts, and I''m not really that good at healing since I have focused on thebat arts more." Mei Xue sighed in relief as she said with a bright smile, "Then you can count on me! I will be sure to help anyone in need of healing." Chapter 213: Confrontation with Silver Fox Sect Mei Xue inclined her head respectfully before pulling back to rejoin the other healers in the caravan. Shen Yuan''s gaze lingered on her for a moment before he shook his head and shifted his focus back to the road ahead. ... The caravan moved swiftly thanks to the Northern Wind Horses . Shen Yuan remained at the front of the group together with Lian Fang, his gaze remained sharp as he observed his surroundings for any sign of trouble. The road stretched through rolling hills and forests; it created a vividndscape. His instincts told him the bandits would be attacking their caravan soon. [You seem unusually tense, Yuan''er] Yue Lan''s voice echoed inside his head; it still contained that hint of teasing. ''Tense? No, not really,'' Shen Yuan replied inwardly. ''I''m just cautious, since I don''t have any idea of the bandits'' capabilities. It''s better to be cautious than suffer at their handster.'' [Looks like you learned from your mistakes from that abyssal entity. So, are you not going to seal your powers like the first time you went out for training?] Yue Lan brought up his dark past when he was still a naive cultivator. The corner of his lips twitched as he replied back, ''Fuck off, no need to remind me of my idiotic actions. I''m not that naive now; all I wanted was a challenge at that time. Tsk.'' [I suppose so, but you look almost eager for a fight now as well. Trying to prove something? Or perhaps testing out how much stronger you are after continuous breakthroughs? Or do you have something altogether nned for them?] Chapter Experience: Shen Yuan smirked faintly, ''Who knows, maybe all the things you stated. It''s been a while since I''ve faced a worthy opponent, and I want to gauge how much stronger I have improved. Besides, these missions are more entertaining than I expected; meeting new people is always fun.'' [Or potential new harem members?] ''...Let''s see how much stronger I have be by fighting the bandit leader directly.'' Yue Lan chuckled softly seeing him ignore her question. [Oh, how delightfully reckless of you. Just don''t get yourself killed. I''d be terribly bored without you.] Shen Yuan rolled his eyes but said nothing. His focus sharpened as the terrain shifted; the road narrowed, nked by rocky outcrops and dense patches of forest. He raised his hand, signaling the rest of the caravan to slow down. The guards, though inexperienced inbat, were perceptive enough to sense the change in atmosphere. They tightened their grip on their weapons, and even Lian Fang moved closer to Shen Yuan. "You sensed it too?" Lian Fang asked aftering closer, her green eyes scanning the surroundings with a focused gaze. Shen Yuan nodded his head. "Yes, this ce is ideal for an ambush. The Silver Fox Sect is smart enough to use the terrain to their advantage." Lian Fang drew her curved de, the faint hum of Qi reinforcing the weapon. "Good. I was starting to think this would be a dull escort mission." Shen Yuan nodded his head with a smile as his n seemed to be taking shape, but before he could reply, a sharp whistle pierced the air. From the treetops and behind therge boulders, figures d in silver robes emerged, their movements swift and coordinated. The insignia of a silver fox adorned their masks and armor. "Silver Fox Sect," Lian Fang muttered, her grip tightening around her de. Shen Yuan dismounted calmly, patting the neck of his horse before stepping forward. "Finally. I was starting to think it would be a wasted trip." A man stepped forward from the group of bandits, his aura radiating the power of the Extreme Origin Core Realm. His voice was smooth yet mocking as he addressed Shen Yuan, "Well, well, what do we have here? A caravan with such fine beauties and shy horses? You are practically begging to be robbed." Shen Yuan looked around to see the total number of enemies. "Looks like you are not the leader of the Silver Fox Sect." The man raised an eyebrow beforeughing, "Hahaha, well of course I''m not the Sect Leader of the Silver Fox Sect. I''m merely one of the Inner Elders there." Shen Yuan thought over his ns again. "So, will your leader being here or not?" "Why would our Sect Leadere here? To deal with you ants?" The bandit leaderughed out loud, and the other members also startedughing upon hearing Shen Yuan''s words. Lian Fang also looked at Shen Yuan worriedly; even she didn''t want to face the leader of the Silver Fox Sect who was rumored to be at the Dao Core Forming Realm. The rest of the caravan grew restless as the fear of the Silver Fox Sect was long established. But Shen Yuan didn''t budge as he smiled, "Well, it''s good. I can fight with you freely and test my current strength before looking for your Sect Leader for a fight." The bandit leader frowned his brows as he continued speaking, his voice dripping with contempt, "Who do you think you are to dare fight our Sect Leader?" "Shen Yuan," he lightly replied while taking out his sword. "Never heard of you," the bandit leader replied with disdain. "Of course you haven''t; it''s not even been a year since my official debut in the cultivation world. But this name will reverberate throughout the Deste Continent soon enough." Shen Yuan smirked and unsheathed his sword. The bandit leader didn''t think much of his words and barked his order, "Don''t listen to his nonsense! Attack the caravan! Take it down as soon as you can." The bandit leader pulled out his axe from his back and charged toward Shen Yuan as well. Three other bandits charged ahead of the group; from the looks of it, they were the vice leaders of the group¡ªall of them being in the Extreme Origin Core Realm. "Can you handle one of them?" Shen Yuan asked Lian Fang, who was looking at the oing bandits with serious eyes. "I can hold him back, but killing or defeating him will be quite hard," she assessed the situation and quickly answered. "Good enough," Shen Yuan nodded his head and stepped forward while continuing speaking, "Just hold him back until I''m done with the three of them." He nced back at the guards and the healers inside the wagons. "Protect the healers with all your might; no need to unnecessarily risk your life and attack the bandits. Just maintain a tight formation and defend." The guards hurriedly moved together and formed a circle around the wagon where all of the healers were sitting while looking outside worriedly. Shen Yuan looked ahead and raised his sword to block the iing attack as the bandit leader stood just a meter in front of him. "Where is your focus, brat?" The bandit leader grinned as he pushed his axe down. Shen Yuan pushed up with his sword, but before he could push the bandit leader away, one of the vice leaders moved from the side and attacked at his ribs with his short sword. Shen Yuan took out another sword and blocked the attack while pushing away the axe-bearing bandit and kicking away the vice leader. Chapter 214: Fight ''Hmm, I''m stronger than them, but the question is... by how much?'' he thought to himself while looking down at his dual swords and then at his vulnerable hands. He took out two armguards and wore them before looking up to see the three bandits charging at him again. "You guys are quite weak, huh," Shen Yuan taunted as he tightened the armguards and held his swords again. "Don''t celebrate too early, you bastard!" another one of the bandits, who was holding a saber, shouted before lunging at Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan sidestepped to avoid the attack while striking the face of the bandit with the handle of his sword. The bandit stumbled a few steps back, holding his face as his nose dripped blood. But the other two bandits didn''t stop to see theirrade''s wounds as they struck at Shen Yuan from multiple sides. Shen Yuan deflected the axe of the bandit with one of his swords while striking the joints of his legs with his other sword, but the bandit quickly retracted his legs as he avoided the blow. "Tsk." He quickly raised his hand to block the short sword heading toward his neck. nk! They struck his armguard as Shen Yuan dropped his sword from one hand and struck the chest of the attacker before catching his sword mid-air. The attacker slid back for a few meters as his chest absorbed the entire impact. "You guys are quite tough, huh," Shen Yuan remarked as he put away one of the swords and looked at the bandits. "Hmph! You are quite strong yourself, but nothing unbeatable." ... On the other hand, Lian Fang continued fighting with her opponent; they exchanged blows as the sh was on equal footing. None seemed to be able to gain advantage over the other as they continued their relentless fight. ''Shit, how is Young Master Yuan fighting with three of them at once? I thought he was weaker due to his young age and he would use some artifact to trap or kill them. But this... he is clearly dominating them.'' She became speechless while looking at Shen Yuan. "Where is your focus?" the enemy shouted while striking at her legs. Lian Fang hurriedly stepped back to avoid the blow as she retaliated. Their fight continued with none being able to take the upper hand. ... The caravan guards continued guarding the healers'' wagon as they resisted the attacks of the bandits with their shields while retaliating with spears. "Fuck! We need to hurry up before boss finishes that brat; otherwise, he will skin at least half of us," one of the bandits desperately shouted while attacking with his long sword. Hispanions understood his urgency as they struck the shields with more force. "Defend! We must hold them back until Young Master Yuan is back!" The guards'' morale was high as they saw Shen Yuan attacking the bandit leaders. ... Shen Yuan smiled seeing the bandits getting together for a concentrated attack. He closed his eyes for a second, feeling his heart being set aze as his sword lit up in fire. The bandits'' eyes widened in shock as the leader of them spoke, "Is that a fire-based technique? But something seems off..." The axe-wielding bandit couldn''t help but feel something amiss as the mes seemed out of ce on someone at Shen Yuan''s level. Chapter Continue: "You guys better be cautious now; we will attack him at once." The vice leaders nodded their heads as their grips tightened around their weapons. Shen Yuan smiled lightly as he raised the sword above his head; the Qi of the surroundings became chaotic as his sword seemed to be forming a vortex above his head. The bandits'' eyes widened in fear and disbelief as they saw the phenomenon. Soon, they heard Shen Yuan say, "Heave¡ª" but he paused as he saw the caravan behind the bandits. He changed his stance as the gathered Qi began circting in a different way. "Radiant Lotus sh!" he softly muttered as his First-Level Fire Intent mixed with his First-Level Sword Intent cut through the air and headed straight for the bandits. The changing of attack made the bandits relieved for a second as they thought Shen Yuan couldn''t power the huge Qi required for that attack, but this attack didn''t seem any less dangerous as they hurriedly raised their weapons to guard their vital parts. But the attack didn''t show any mercy as it destroyed their weapons and hit squarely in their chests. But before it could sh them apart, Shen Yuan recalled his attack as he withstood the bacsh since it wasn''t his strongest attack. The bandit leaders got sent flying back as they struck the nearby trees and cleared arge patch of the forest with their collision. Shen Yuan didn''t give a damn as he moved towards Lian Fang to take care of the remaining Extreme Origin Core Realm cultivator. But before he could reach the ce, the bandit got so scared of him that he kneeled right there. Shen Yuan slowed down as he saw the situation getting under control. "Alright, enough, you bastards. Your leader has already surrendered." He shouted while pointing at the kneeling bandit. The rest of the bandits paused their attacks as they slowly turned around to see the kneeling vice leader, their eyes widened in horror as they didn''t think they would be the ones on the losing end. They hurriedly threw away their weapons and kneeled down while begging Shen Yuan for mercy. "Spare us, Young Master!" "I have an old mother and daughter to feed; please spare me!" "I don''t want to die a virgin; please spare me, Great Lord!!" ... Shen Yuan''s eyes twitched as he heard all kinds of begging. ''Even I haven''t read about some of them in my previous life,'' he thought with amusement while the bandits continued begging. He shook his head and slowly moved towards the kneeling bandit vice leader. "Not so tough now, are you?" Shen Yuan smirked as he looked at the kneeling leader. While the rest of the bandits got silent as they heard Shen Yuan speaking, they continued kneeling down as they waited for him to pass on the judgment. "Please, Young Master. Spare me. I will tell you everything you want to know about our sect!" the kneeling vice leader begged and promised to divulge all their secrets. "Hoh? Already spitting out everything? How boring. I didn''t even get the chance to use some of my newly learned torture techniques," Shen Yuan evilly smirked and took out his dark scythe. The bandit leader felt his soul leaving his body as he froze on the spot; even his muscles refused to move as Shen Yuan''s aura pressed down on him. Shen Yuan was unknowingly releasing a noble presence resembling that of Divine Birds, but only the bandit vice leader was able to feel it as the entire pressure was directed towards him. "S-s-spare me. I beg you." The vice leader''s face bes worse, almost on the verge of crying. "Hmm¡­well lets round you all up first." Shen Yuan said as he looked back at the caravan guards. "Make a clearing in the side of the forest, we will camp here for the night. I have a few things that I need to discuss with them." Chapter 215: Judgement The guards hurriedly scattered and started cutting down trees to prepare the area for the camp. Shen Yuan nodded, seeing them working so effectively. His gaze thennded on the vice leader before moving up to see the other bandit leaders lying down on the ground some distance away. Chapter Enjoy: "Hey, you," Shen Yuan pointed at one of the kneeling bandits. "Go and drag them here, all three of them." The bandit who was pointed out looked to his left and right to make sure he was the one being addressed before he slowly stood up and went to drag the bandit leaders back. Shen Yuan looked back at the group of bandits and thought for a bit beforemanding again, "Alright, you fes go and help the guards to make a clearing here." All the bandits looked at each other and slowly stood up before going to help the guards make a clearing. Lian Fang looked at Shen Yuan curiously as she asked, "What have you nned for these bandits? I thought you would kill them all." Shen Yuan thoughtfully looked at the bandits working as he replied to Lian Fang, "Why kill when you can have them do your work? But these... These are not from the Silver Fox Sect." Lian Fang''s face turned confused. "Huh? What do you mean? They have the Silver Fox Sect''s identity token on their chest, and why would anyone want to impersonate that infamous sect?" "That''s where you are wrong. First, those tokens are fake. And secondly, from what I have heard, the Silver Fox Sect is a female-only sect that works like an assassin organization. They wouldn''t try to act like these bandits, and nor will they have male members among them." Shen Yuan shook his head and pointed out where she was wrong. "Huh? But then where is the Silver Fox Sect? Weren''t they supposed to ambush us?" Lian Fang grew cautious as she surveyed the surroundings warily for a possible ambush. "Don''t worry. No one is here to ambush us." He paused as he turned his head and looked at Lian Fang. "It was never the Silver Fox Sect which was after us, but this bunch of morons. That''s why they spread rumors that the Silver Fox Sect is after this caravan, so the stronger cultivators will hesitate before joining our caravan." Lian Fang nodded her head in realization as she looked at the working bandits. "So, they are a random group of bandits who decided to take on the name of Silver Fox Sect? How audacious of them to do such a thing." Shen Yuan chuckled, "Audacious indeed, but their n worked as you were the only person who showed up despite the generous reward." Lian Fang nodded her head as this was indeed the case. ... Soon, the bandits and guards finished making a clearing while the guard who went to drag back the bandit leaders also came back with them and dropped the bandits beside Shen Yuan. "Good work everyone, the guards can go and take a rest, while the bandits will stand guard, spread around in a circle from this point," Shen Yuan ordered while pointing at his foot to make a circle from that position. The bandits looked at each other for a moment before hurriedly scattering. The guards looked at Shen Yuan with confusion as they couldn''t guess why Shen Yuan ordered them to rest while making the bandits guard the surroundings. Shen Yuan then dragged all four bandit leaders and sshed water on their faces to wake them up. Thest bandit who was conscious looked at Shen Yuan with fear, dreading what fate awaited him. The rest of the bandits woke up and looked at their surroundings in confusion before they eventually raised their heads to see Shen Yuan. Their eyes widened in fear as they hurriedly crawled back to put some distance between each other. Shen Yuan smiled brightly as he greeted them, "Good morning, did you guys have a good sleep?" "St-stay back, you demon!" one of the vice leaders shouted. Shen Yuan chuckled and took one step toward the shouting bandit. "You want me to stay away?" he smiled calmly, yet there seemed to be hidden malice in it. "G-go awa¡ª" The bandit leader''s words stopped as his eyes remained open wide while his head slipped down to the ground. Shen Yuan sheathed his sword as he shook his head with a look of pity. "Sigh, why couldn''t he just listen to me?" That left the rest of the bandit leaders scared shitless as their muscles stopped moving altogether. They froze in ce while staring at theirpanion''s lifeless body. Shen Yuan turned towards them as he asked with the same bright smile, "Now, shall we have a little talk?" ... "UGAAAA!" Thest bandit leader screamed as Shen Yuan thrust his sword into his chest. Lian Fang stood a distance away, seeing Shen Yuan''s ruthless action with her own eyes. She couldn''t fathom how someone so young could be so ruthless. Shen Yuan nced at her as he wiped his de clean. "What? I shouldn''t have killed them?" "No..." Lian Fang shook her head lightly. "They deserve death for whatever they have done until now by being bandits. But I wasn''t expecting you to be so... decisive at such a young age." Shen Yuan chuckled softly as he put away his sword. "That is indeed something worth looking at, but doesn''t that make me that much more of a genius? The worst mistake of geniuses is they can''t hide their edge when they are weak, and I don''t want to make that mistake as well." Lian Fang looked at him for a second before asking, "Aren''t you worried that we will¡ª" But before her words could finish, she felt a monstrous killing intent radiating from Shen Yuan that even her breathing stopped. But it went away as soon as it came as he came closer and said in a soft voice, "I trust you guys are not stupid enough to make this mistake." The guards and healers who were standing some distance away also heard his words as they audibly gulped. Without missing a beat, all of them nodded their heads in agreement. "That''s it for the day. We will continue our journey tomorrow and won''t stop until we reach the Sacred Valley Sanctuary," he said before moving towards his tent which he had made himself. The rest of the people stood rooted on the spot as they thought back to his words. ... [Are you really sure they won''t say anything about you to others?] Yue Lan asked curiously as she wanted to hear his thoughts. "No, I''m not sure. But it wouldn''t make much sense to kill them for this minor matter," Shen Yuan softly said as hey down on his bed. "I have not shown them anything that couldn''t be discussed; I also haven''t shown them my full strength," he continued saying as he looked at his hand. [That is indeed true. Your Fire Intent can easily be mistaken as a technique since it isn''t that strong, and those cultivators are not that strong to know the difference between techniques and intents.] Chapter 216: Sacred Valley Sanctuary "Indeed, so it doesn''t matter what they say to others, and a little fame is always better to have in the outside world." He smiled as he closed his eyes for some rest. [Oh? You are sleeping? That is rare, you only sleep after du¡ª] "Yes. I''m sleeping so let me have some rest," Shen Yuan interrupted her as he turned around andy down. [...Good night then.] Yue Lan''s chuckling voice sounded in his mind as she also went silent. ... The morning sun rose high as Shen Yuan and the rest of the caravan continued on their journey through the vastnd and forest. "So, what will you do about the Silver Fox Sect?" Lian Fang came closer to Shen Yuan''s horse as she asked. "Hmm... Well, for starters, I will go to their headquarters after finishing this mission. If we don''t stop, then we should be able to reach the Sacred Valley Sanctuary by tomorrow morning," Shen Yuan responded as he thought back to what the bandits told us. "I can''t believe the Silver Fox Sect used these lowly bandits to try to capture these healers." Lian Fang shook her head as she still couldn''t believe how far the Silver Fox Sect was willing to go for these healers. Shen Yuan looked at her in amusement, "You are underestimating the value of these healers. They might be weak now, but when they grow stronger, then they will be one of the most powerful strategic resources of a sect. Even pills are not as useful as them at treating people." Lian Fang nodded, "True, pills also can''t treat all kinds of troubles. But why did they not do it themselves?" "Because they didn''t want to anger the powers of the Sacred Valley Sanctuary. They could have easily pushed off the me to the bandits if they encountered the problemter since they really haven''t done it. But now, they lost their only chance, and they wouldn''t dare try to do it themselves," Shen Yuan shook his head while exining. Lian Fang lowered her head as she contemted in silence, "So, we are pretty much safe for the rest of the journey." "Yes, now let''s hurry since these horses can move much faster," Shen Yuan said while patting the neck of the horse to speed it up. Lian Fang nodded and followed after him; the rest of the caravan also sped up as they saw the leaders speeding up. ... They continued passing one town after another before eventually crossing a few cities. Yet they stopped for none as they continued moving forward. And soon, after traveling for the entire night, as the first rays of the sun rose, they saw the Sacred Valley Sanctuary in the distance. "There it is, the Sacred Valley Sanctuary," Shen Yuan muttered while looking at the massive valley. It seemed carved out of one stone as the entire structure seemed to spanrger than the eye could see. "It''s a magnificent sight," Lian Fang muttered as she looked at the scene ahead. Chapter Stay: "Indeed, hardly any location we have seen on the way can bepared to one percent of this ce''s beauty," Shen Yuan agreed as he stepped down from his horse. Lian Fang smiled as she asked Shen Yuan, "The Sacred Valley Sanctuary is a subsidiary power of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect; did you know, Young Master Yuan?" "Oh? I didn''t know about this." Shen Yuan curiously looked at Lian Fang as this wasn''t recorded in the mission slip. Lian Fang stepped down from her horse and came towards him, "Since you are an Inner Disciple of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect, you will be treated higher than a Core Disciple here, but you..." her voice trailed off as she didn''t know how to continue saying. Shen Yuanughed, "Hahaha, I know what you want to say. Since I''m a male disciple, you don''t know how they will react. Well, it doesn''t matter; I don''t have any ns to visit that ce as well." Master Qiu also came down from her wagon and stepped in front of him, "Young Master Yuan, thank you for epting this mission and escorting us here safely. I don''t know what I would have done without you; we might all have been captured by the Silver Fox Se¡ª" "Not Silver Fox Sect but a random group of bandits," Shen Yuan interrupted her with a smile as he continued, "That''s what you will tell anyone who questions you. Silver Fox Sect had nothing to do with it. You understand?" Master Qiu looked at Shen Yuan in confusion but nodded her head nheless, "I understand, Young Master." "Good, then here is my mission scroll; sign them aspleted so we can part our ways here." Shen Yuan brought out the scroll and passed it to Master Qiu. "Are you sure you don''t want to visit the valley with us, Young Master?" Master Qiu looked up at Shen Yuan before asking. "Yes, I have more work to do, and the valley is just in front of us, so my mission is also as good as done." Shen Yuan nodded with a smile. "Very well." Master Qiu nodded with a sigh and used her unique Qi signature to sign the documents. Shen Yuan looked at the scrolls for a bit before putting them away, "With this, our contractes to an end." He turned towards Lian Fang and asked with a smile, "So, will you continue your journey with them or leave now?" Lian Fang''s brain worked as she replied instantly, "My time with them hase to an end as well; I will look around here for work or head back to the Sacred Lotus City." Master Qiu sighed and took out a storage ring, "Here is the promised amount of Spirit Stones for your work." Lian Fang took the storage ring with shining eyes. "Haha, finally." Sheughed as she looked at her hard-earned money. "So, let''s have a little chat," Shen Yuan addressed Lian Fang as he started walking. Lian Fang''s eyes lit up as she hurriedly followed after Shen Yuan. The rest of the caravan members bowed towards him, "Take good care, Young Master." Shen Yuan didn''t bother to turn around as he waved his hand and continued moving forward. "Uhh, Master Qiu, what should we do about Young Master Yuan and Lady Lian Fang''s horses?" One of the guards there asked as he looked at the majestic horses looking at their leaving masters'' backs. Master Qiu looked at the horses briefly before ordering, "What else? Two of you who are sharing horses go and take up themand there." The guards'' eyes lit up as they walked away from their horses to get on top of the horses Shen Yuan and Lian Fang left behind. The horse of Lian Fang didn''t pose a problem as the guard sessfully mounted it, but Shen Yuan''s horse kicked away the guard as he was too proud to let anyone mount him. The rest of the guards looked at each other before trying one by one, yet none were able to do it as all of them got sent flying by a kick. Chapter 217: Fire Master Qiu looked at the scene with both amusement and frustration as taking the horse to the valley would be quite problematic. "Sigh, we need to return these horses to the establishment in the valley as well." Master Qiu shook her head. "Let me try," Mei Xue stepped forward as she saw the proud steed. "But Lady Xue¡ª" Master Qiu hurriedly tried to dissuade her from this daunting task as she didn''t want to see her get hurt. "Don''t worry, I know what I''m doing." Mei Xue softly smiled as she moved forward. The horse looked at Mei Xue approaching, but it didn''t do anything at first. Mei Xue got close as her hands released a green aura. She gently patted the horse as he seemed to be epting her. "Good horse." She smiled as she climbed on top of him slowly. Master Qiu slowly came forward and said in a low voice, "Your Wood Intent never ceases to amaze me, Lady Xue." Mei Xue smiled softly, "It''s still nothingpared to Senior Brother Shen Yuan''s Fire Intent." "He is indeed a monster; no wonder he managed to pass the Ancestral Pagoda trial. I wouldn''t have believed it if the valley hadn''t informed me of it beforehand." Master Qiu shook her head as she was still in disbelief over Shen Yuan''s talent. "Let''s continue to the valley; we need to find out who leaked my whereabouts," Mei Xue softly said as she looked at the valley. "Then about the Silver Fox Sect..." Master Qiu asked quietly. Mei Xue thought for a second before shaking her head, "Don''t bother with them; from the looks of it, Senior Brother Shen Yuan took up this mission because he wanted to sh with the Silver Fox Sect. Let him handle it." Master Qiu wanted to question his ability on whether he could even do it or not, but remembering his age and battle power quickly shut her up. ... "So, what did you want to talk about?" Lian Fang asked as they both sat beside a waterfall deep in the woods. Shen Yuan looked at the fire burning below him softly; he stirred it with a stick, "We got a lot of information from the bandits about the Silver Fox Sect, like their headquarters, how many inner elders they have, as well as how many Extreme Origin Core Realm cultivators they have." "But we can''t be sure about how many Extreme Origin Core Realm and Dao Core Forming Realm cultivators they have. I doubt those lowly bandits will have full knowledge about a sect like the Silver Fox Sect," Lian Fang worriedly said. Shen Yuan got silent as he also knew this problem, "That''s quite the problem indeed, even if I can handle one Dao Core Forming Realm cultivator, I doubt I would be able to win if two of them ganged up on me." Lian Fang''s eyes widened in disbelief, "You can actually fight someone in the Dao Core Forming Realm?" "Of course, why would I venture out in the world if I don''t even have this little bit of strength?" Shen Yuan calmly replied. "Unbelievable... and you are merely an Inner Disciple of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect," Lian Fang mindlessly muttered to herself as she felt her whole worldview shifting. "Don''t think too much about it. Not all Inner Sect disciples are like me; I''m just an exception." He shook his head while staring at the burning fire. Lian Fang didn''t say anything for a while as she tried to digest what she had just found out. After a while, she asked, "So what n do you have? And what do you want from me?" Shen Yuan continued ying with fire using his stick as he thoughtfully said, "I have underestimated the strength of the Silver Fox Sect; I can''t defeat them in my current situation." Lian Fang continued looking at him in confusion. "But it won''t be long before I can achieve the strength required to do that. But in the meantime, I need someone to do my work for me in the outside world," Shen Yuan said while moving his gaze away from the fire and staring at Lian Fang. Lian Fang looked at him with disbelief, "Wait, so you are asking me to work under you? But from your tone, it looks like it will be a long-time job. I''m sorry but I do¡ª" Before her words could finish, Shen Yuan threw a storage ring at her, "50,000 Mid Tier Spirit Stones as an advance payment for your job. If you do good then I can increase your pay as well." "I will do as youmand, Young Master Yuan." Lian Fang stood up and she respectfully gave him a salute before looking at the storage ring filled with Spirit Stones with shiny eyes. Shen Yuan didn''t bother with her as he looked at the burning mes. He seemed to be getting lost in the dancing mes as he muttered under his breath, "A fire that knows only destruction is like a wed forge¡ªit consumes and copses under its own rage. But a me that tempers, shapes, and strengthens¡ªthat is the fire that forges legends and builds empires." His eyes seemed to be burning with fire as a small tornado began to form around him. The temperature continued to soar as Lian Fang hurriedly moved away from Shen Yuan, "Wha¡ª" She couldn''t even make words as the temperature seemed to be able to burn even her. It wasn''t long before the tornado caught on fire. Shen Yuan didn''t bother to look around at all as his focus remained sharply on the dancing me in front of him, something deep within him seemed to be stirring slightly as hisprehension of Fire continued to soar. "The fire to forge a new path..." Shen Yuan muttered as his Fire Intent broke through its shackles and reached the Second Level. "Intent?? Already??" Lian Fang muttered in disbelief as she felt the energy of Intent being radiated from Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan heard her voice as he retracted all of the pressure of the Intent and the tornado died down as well. Lian Fang hurriedly came forward as she asked Shen Yuan excitedly, "Was that the Fire Intent? And such a strong one at that, it must be at the Second Level, right?" Shen Yuan chuckled and nodded, "Yes. Iprehended the Second Level of Fire Intent." Lian Fang''s eyes lit up with excitement, "Yay! With this we might be able to win against Sil¡ª" "We can''t." Shen Yuan began ying with the fire again as he refused Lian Fang''s n outright. "Eh? But why?" Lian Fang asked while crossing her arms. "Hmm... do you think those who have been alive for centuries or even millennia wouldn''t have learned an Intent? I''m pretty sure some of them have already mastered at least one Intent till level two if not three." He lightly exined. Lian Fang got silent as she realized what he said made sense. "Then what do you want me to do? Since we can''t attack the Silver Fox Sect for now, you must have some other work for me to do, right?" Chapter 218: Beast Shen Yuan nodded his head, "Collect information about the main disciples of Ironwood Mountain n, and try to look for information on the Silver Fox Sect as well if you can find out something." "Hmm? Ironwood Mountain n? Why do you want to know about those brutes?" She said as she remembered the barbaric type of people of the n. "There are some reasons," he said as he threw the stick into the fire and stood up. "Well, that''s about it. Send me the information that you find out about them in the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect directly." "As you wish, Young Master Yuan." Lian Fang bowed slightly as she saw him leaving. Shen Yuan waved his hand and went away. ... "Now, how am I supposed to return to the Sacred Lotus City without the horse?" Shen Yuan said while walking as he had already left his horse behind. [Space Intent would have been so helpful at this time.] Yue Lan''s usual yful voice sounded in his head. "Don''t joke with me, I know Space Intent can''t travel such a long distance. Even with my nearly inexhaustible reserve of Qi, I won''t be able to support it for long." He shook his head. [Anyways, it was a smart choice that you decided to not fight the Silver Fox Sect with your current strength.] Yue Lan stopped joking around and spoke seriously. "Of course, it was a smart choice, but even if I went there, they wouldn''t have been able to kill me." Shen Yuan replied confidently as he at least had this much confidence in his techniques and treasures. [Yes, but what''s the point of startling a snake if you can''t capture it in one go? Your decision to put the attack on hold was perfect.] Yue Lan praised his smart choice. "Oh, how did I forget about that." Shen Yuan said as he took out a flying ship of his mother. "I can reach the city much faster with this; it wouldn''t even take a few hours." He smiled and boarded the ship. [When will you get a flying artifact of your own?] Yue Lan''s voice sounded as she seemed to be shaking her head. Shen Yuanughed and replied, "I will either get one of the best ones or I will have to forge one myself." [Oh, you have a design in mind already?] "Of course, it will be a¡ªsurprise." Shen Yuanughed out loud as the ship rose from the ground and began zooming toward the Sacred Lotus City. [Fuck you!] Yue Lan cursed as Shen Yuan kept her in suspense. ... "It''s good to be back." Shen Yuan said as he strolled through the streets of the Sacred Lotus City. The smell of delicious food filled his nose as he walked towards one of the stalls which were selling beast meat. He paid for a piece and tried it there. "It''s so damn delicious!" His eyes lit up as he tasted it. He continued walking as he reached one of the beast cub shops. "Hmm... I need a pet as well; it gets boring to live by myself sometimes." He thought as he entered the establishment. [You just want something to pet, hmph.] He shook his head and looked inside the establishment. Inside, all types of cubs seemed to be caged as Shen Yuan looked at them one by one. A man who seemed to be the owner of the shop came forward and bowed after seeing the noble aura that Shen Yuan exuded due to his sheer presence. "Good day, sir. What kind of beast would you like to purchase?" he asked in a polite tone. "What is the highest tier beast you have?" Shen Yuan asked as he knew the bloodline of a beast has the most effect for a beast''s cultivation. "I have a few beasts with high-tier bloodlines. Here,e this way." He led Shen Yuan deeper into the shop before opening a gate and showing Shen Yuan bigger cages where higher-quality beasts were locked. "You can look for yourself and see which one you prefer." Shen Yuan nodded his head and moved forward to look at the beasts. The first one seemed to be a Fire-Tailed Lion; it was an impressive species whose normal members could reach the Inner Sea Realm. Moving forward, he saw many different types of beasts, but none seemed to be interesting to him as he continued moving forward. Until he saw a cute little monster who seemed to be a mix of a lion and dragon. The beast had silver fur with crimson scales running down its spine and tail like moltenva. Its golden eyes glowed with intelligence, and small ck horns curved above its ears, radiating a faint red energy which seemed to be invisible to others. He couldn''t pinpoint the exact reason but the beast seemed to be attracting him for some reason. He turned towards the owner of the shop and asked, "What about this beast? I don''t recognize this species." The shop owner looked troubled as he saw the beast, "This... Even I''m not too sure about this beast as it is the first time we have seen someone of its kind." Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, "Do you have an estimate of how high he can reach by maturity? Or what tier his bloodline is at?" The shopkeeper looked embarrassed as he saw Shen Yuan looking at him with a questioning look, "We... we estimated its bloodline to be at the peak of Common Tier." Shen Yuan''s eyes twitched as he looked at the shopkeeper, "Why have you put this beast here then?" "Because we are not sure; we have been feeding it for months but it hasn''t grown even an inch," the shopkeeper hurriedly replied. Shen Yuan shook his head, "Anyways, how much is this beast? I can''t stand to see such a low-quality beast dirtying the ce of other noble beasts." The shopkeeper sweated hard as he thought he had gotten an entric type of customer. He rubbed his palms while speaking, "It''s 5,000 Mid Tier Spirit Stones, Young Master." Shen Yuan''s eyes widened, "5,000 MID TIER SPIRIT STONES? For this useless beast? What can I even do with it for such a high price? I can give you 500 Mid Tier Spirit Stones at most." The shopkeeper felt like crying as he hurriedly said, "Young Lord, have some mercy and let me earn something as well. How about 2,000 Mid Tier Spirit Stones?" "Here, take these 1,000 Mid Tier Spirit Stones and consider the deal done." Shen Yuan smiled and pushed the pouch of 1,000 Spirit Stones into the shopkeeper''s hand. The shopkeeper stayed in one ce for a while, struggling to make a decision as he didn''t want to miss this chance to send away that troublemaking beast while, on the other hand, he felt like he was suffering a loss here. "You can; I have quite a lot of rich friends who would like toe to the city here to purchase some good-quality beasts." Shen Yuan yawned and said. The shopkeeper gritted his teeth and epted the offer, "Very well, 1,000 it is then." He moved forward to unlock the cages and took out the beast. Chapter 219: Submitting the Mission "Here, Dear Customer. Now our deal is finished, how you take care of this beast depends on you now since we have next to no knowledge of it." The shopkeeper handed the beast to Shen Yuan as he gently grabbed the beast by its neck. Shen Yuan took it from the shopkeeper and observed it carefully, "Hmm... I will look further into what you really are after getting back to the sect." He muttered while walking towards the exit. The shopkeeper looked at him with hopeful eyes, expecting him to bring in more customerster. ... ''You know what this beast is, Lan''er?'' Shen Yuan internally asked Yue Lan. [Of course, I know what this beast is, but what will I get for answering it?] Yue Lan''s mischievous voice rang like bells in his mind. Shen Yuan exhaled a long breath, ''Alright, tell me what you wantter, for now help me with identifying what this beast is.'' He spoke to Yue Lan while softly patting the small beast in his hands. [Hmm, since you are asking so nicely, I shall tell you. You have stumbled on quite a treasure this time if I must say. His bloodline has been downgraded to the Elite tier after such a long time, and even that is dormant.] Yue Lan seriously spoke. Shen Yuan halted in his steps in the middle of the market as he heard Yue Lan''s words, his mind spun as he asked, ''Dormant Bloodline? And it''s only at the Elite Tier?'' [Yes, and it won''t be easy to awaken its bloodline as well. But the upper limit of its bloodline is at the apex of the Mortal World. But for that, you need to constantly feed it with higher-level resources.] Shen Yuan thought deeply about it for some time as he began walking again and asked, ''But what would be the point of training him so hard? Can he even match my speed in cultivation?'' [That''s the special thing about this species, they don''t have bottlenecks. As long as you feed them resources, they will reach higher and higher levels. So basically, the only thing holding them back is ack of resources.] Yue Lan patiently exined. ''I see, no wonder the shopkeeper couldn''t awaken the beast''s dormant bloodline; he didn''t have higher-tier resources to use on the beast. The best they spent was likely equal to a High Tier Spirit Stone at most.'' Shen Yuan reasoned slowly. [That is correct, so, what will you do? Raise it?] Shen Yuan thought deeply for some time, ''It''s better to raise the beast as the Protector of the Sect. If in the future I went out seeking greater opportunities, the beast can take care of the sect.'' [It''s up to you, but knowing you, you might get too attached to the beast to leave it behind.] Yue Lan softly giggled. ''Whatever.'' Shen Yuan shook his head as even he was not sure what he will do once that timees. He soon reached the Sect Gates and entered inside after showing his identity. The disciples guarding the gate looked at the beast in Shen Yuan''s embrace curiously, but they didn''t ask questions as there was no shortage of weird-looking beasts inside the sect. Shen Yuan directly went to the Inner Sect after going through a few Spatial Portals. "Haaa... it feels as if I''m back home." Shen Yuan exhaled a long breath while staring at the serene atmosphere of the Sect. The disciples walking from here and there shot him nces as he was still an anomaly in an all-female sect. Shen Yuan didn''t mind the stares and soon began walking towards the Sect Mission Hall. "Hmm... I wasn''t able to aplish what I went out for this time, but I at least have a target and someone in the outside world to gather information for me." He talked to himself as he sorted out his thoughts. "I still have a few weeks left for the Sectpetition, what shall I do in the meantime..." He thought about it again and again while walking as he soon came in front of the Mission Hall. He shook his head and entered inside, it was still as busy as the first time he came here a few days ago. Lines being filled with disciples taking missions and submitting their results. Shen Yuan moved towards the counter where he got the mission from and stood at the back of the line. The disciples looked at him but didn''tment as most of them were waiting to see whether he failed or passed. "Do you think hepleted his mission?" "How is that possible? It''s only been like 3 days." "Yes, how is it possible for anyone toplete that mission when the time it takes to move such arge distance is longer than what it took toplete the entire mission?" ... Shen Yuan didn''t bother with the discussions as he knew fighting back now would only have the opposite effects than what he wanted. He silently stood at the back of the line which slowly moved forward. After waiting for a while, he arrived in front of the counter, the same disciple whom he saw thest time was there. "Ah hello, Senior Brother Shen Yuan. How was the mission? Have youpleted it?" The disciple asked with a bright smile. Shen Yuan smiled lightly and took out his mission scroll before handing it to the disciple. "Here, check it and see if this will do, and you haven''t introduced yourself yet." Shen Yuan said as he didn''t know the name of the disciple until now. "Haha, let me see the scroll. As for myself, I''m Lin Yue, an Inner Sect disciple. It''s an honor to assist Senior Brother Shen Yuan." She happily replied while opening up the scroll. Her eyes lit up as she saw the excellent review Master Qiu had left behind. "Excellent, Senior Brother Shen Yuan, you have done your first mission spectacrly." She raised her head from the scroll and looked at him while continuing, "Will you take another mission?" Shen Yuan shook his head and rejected, "I need to cultivate for now, so I won''t take any more missions for the time being." Lin Yue shook her head with a look of pity, "Very well then, Senior Brother Shen Yuan, your rewards will be sent to your identity medallion after the mission details are verified by sect elders." Shen Yuan nodded his head and left the astonished crowd of disciples behind the Mission Hall. ... "Now, I havepleted the mission as well, what should I do next?" Shen Yuan spoke aloud while strolling around the sect randomly. "Brother Shen Yuan!" Shen Yuan turned his head as he heard a screaming from far away, he saw a silhouetteing closer to him. He focused his gaze to see who it was as he recognized the voice. Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up with pleasant surprise as he saw it was one of his old acquaintances. "Big Brother!" Han Qingyu came running towards him with excitement, her face filled with joy as it had been a long time since shest saw Shen Yuan. Chapter 220: Han Qingyu "Qingyu, long time no see." Shen Yuan smiled brightly as he moved forward and gave her a deep hug. Qingyu returned the hug as her face glowed with happiness. "It''s been such a long time since Ist saw you, Brother Yuan. How are you now?" Han Qingyu excitedly asked as she left his embrace. Shen Yuan smiled and patted her head, "I have been good and kicking, I''m sure you must have heard the news about the Mystique Realm, no?" Han Qingyu excitedly nodded her head, "I heard what happened there, Brother Yuan. You alone dominated the rest of the powers which went inside there, and because of you all of the disciples who went there returned with bountiful harvest, and the sect also heavily awarded them." Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow in surprise as he asked, "You have quite the detailed information, did you hear it from somewhere, or have you been monitoring news about me?" Han Qingyu blushed slightly as she lowered her head, "Umm... the thing is, I have been keeping a close eye on any news rted to you." Shen Yuan shook his head and asked, "So, how has your progress been in cultivation? Did the sect treat you well?" Han Qingyu raised her head and proudly disyed her cultivation base, "I have already broken through to the Origin Core Creation Realm after the activation of my Physique with the help of the sect resources, I owe a lot to the sect now." Shen Yuan smiled and grabbed her hand before they started walking, "Don''t think too much about repayment and just focus on cultivating yourself, once you are strong enough you can contribute your strength to the sect." Han Qingyu thoughtfully nodded her head as they continued walking through the valleys and mountains inside the sect. "Where were youing from, Senior Brother?" she curiously asked. Shen Yuan replied with a soft smile, "I just returned afterpleting a mission, it was fun while itsted." Han Qingyu raised an eyebrow in surprise as she softly said, "You alreadypleted a mission? And here I am, I haven''t evenpleted a single mission yet, I haven''t even left the sect''s grounds due to my cultivation." "It doesn''t matter, you should solidify your cultivation base first before heading out to venture into the outside world, it is far too dangerous for someone at your cultivation stage." Shen Yuan shook his head and refused her thoughts of going on missions. "Then can I tag along with you when you go the next time?" Han Qingyu hurriedly asked. Shen Yuan paused as he considered his options, soon after he nodded, "Sure, but on the condition that you will listen to me and won''t run around." She giggled softly and asked back, "Do you think I''m a child or something?" Shen Yuan chuckled softly but didn''tment back on it. They continued walking through the sect as they chatted and talked about the recent things that had happened to them, Shen Yuan listened to her talk with interest as it had been quite some time since he hadst spoken to a good friend of his. Han Qingyu was just happy to reunite with Shen Yuan as she talked non-stop. ... "Haaa... that was a good chat." Shen Yuan stretched his body as he stood in the garden of his mansion, the little baby beast which he got from the cityy down on the grass. Shen Yuan looked at it as he spoke, "I forgot to introduce you to Qingyu, she would have liked to y with you." [You put her in the system space while going inside the Mission Hall so you wouldn''t create argermotion, but instead, you forgot about her and only took her out now.] Yue Lan reprimanded him. "Oh? It''s a girl? That''s good to know." Shen Yuan nodded his head as he gained a bit more knowledge about the beast from Yue Lan. [...Yes, it''s a female beast, you should be quite happy with this huh? Pervert.] Shen Yuan shook his head with a chuckle as he crouched down and picked up the little beast, "Now, what should I name you?" He continued staring at the beast as he examined it closely, the silver fur glinted under the sunlight while the crimson scales running along her spine shimmered like moltenva. Her cute eyes stared back at him, filled with a surprising intelligence for a beast of her level. The small ck horn above her ears pulsed faintly with energy, and her petite form squirmed slightly in his hand. "A name..." Shen Yuan muttered softly, tilting his head as he stroked the fur near her neck. "Something that suits your majestic yet untamed nature." [Why are you wasting such a long time on this?] Yue Lan''s teasing voice chimed in, [Don''t overthink it, just call her Little Silver, Fluffy, or something.] Shen Yuan rolled his eyes, ''Fluffy? Do you even see her? She looks capable enough to scare entire armies to death once she matures.'' [Fine, fine. Go ahead, oh mighty namer. Amaze me with your creativity.] Yue Lan giggled, her yful tone making Shen Yuan shake his head. He looked back at the beast, whose horns pulsed faintly as if reacting to his words. His eyes lit up as he thought of a name, "I''ll call you... Xueyan," he said, his voice firm with pride at his naming choice. "Your silver fur reminds me of snow, and the crimson scales are like fire. Snow me¡ªXueyan. It suits you." Xueyan blinked her cute eyes as she tilted her head slightly before letting out a soft cry, almost as if approving of the name. [Hmph! Not bad. Even she seems to like it. You might not bepletely hopeless after all.] Yue Lanmented with a yful snort. Shen Yuan proudly smiled, "It''s the naming sense of I, Shen Yuan. Of course, I will name her something good." The beast grunted softly, making Shen Yuan look down as he ced her on the ground to see what she was after. Xueyan opened her mouth as Shen Yuan understood what she wanted. He made a troubled face as he knew next to nothing about what to feed her. [What are you thinking about? Just give her Spirit Stones to eat. Her species lives off the energy of Heaven and Earth, so they can live on pretty much only on Spirit Stones. But they can still eat other types of food and enjoy those delicacies.] Yue Lan informed him seeing his thinking hard on what to feed her. Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up as he dumped a pile of Low Tier Spirit Stones in front of the beast. "Here. Eat however much you want." He smiled and patted Xueyan''s head. Xueyan''s cute little eyes lit up as she moved towards the pile of Spirit Stones swiftly. Shen Yuan smiled seeing her as he went over to sit down on his chair beneath the Plum Blossom Tree. He took out a wine gourd and a cup before pouring himself a cup and gulping it down. "Haaa... Show me my status window, Lan''er." He softly whispered as a floating window manifested in front of him. Chapter 221: Xueyan [Ding!] [Host: Shen Yuan] [Title: Charming Young Master, Mob Killer, Weapon Master, Madman, Masochist, Inheritor of Purity Sage, Era-Defining Genius, Incestuous Pervert, Outer Sect Disciple of Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect, False Chaotic Lifeform, Abyssal Seed, Heir of Inferno Smith¡­] [Cultivation Base: Inner Sea Realm (30%)] [Bloodline: ???] [Physique] [Talents] [Cultivation Techniques: Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art, Chaos Body Refinement Technique (81st Revolution - Completed), Radiant Lotus Cultivation Art, Inferno Smithing Technique] [Techniques: Heaven and Earth Severance, Basic Sword Style, Mountain Smashing Fist, Falling Leaves sh, Wind Breaker Palm, Reaper Cleave, Earth Cutting Saber, Flowing Water Spear, Lightfoot Technique, Radiant Lotus sh, Luminous Shadow Step...] [Intents:] [Weapon Intents] [Elemental Intents: Second Level Fire Intent] [Chaos Coins: 1,280,000] [System Shop] [Inventory] [Rtionship] [Battle Power: Unknown] [Harem Connect] [Dual Cultivation Chamber] [Beast Companion: Xueyan (3rd Level Qi Gathering Realm)]" "Hmm..." Shen Yuan looked at all the stats and soon swiped his hand to put away the status screen. "Everything is in ce, but I didn''t know Xueyan was already in the Qi Gathering Realm. That''s a nice surprise." He poured himself more wine. "[She might be slow now, but once she starts getting enough resources, she will reach the peak of her bloodline in no time at all.]" Yue Lanmented. "It''s pretty neat of you to add this new Beast Companion column," he thought back to his cultivation, "And I''m still improving passively; this cultivation technique is really nuts. But it''s quite slow as well." "[That''s not the case at all. You have not been cultivating actively; the cultivation base only improves this much by passive absorption of the Qi gathered in your Dantian. And it''s only been a few days¡ªyou might break through to the next level within this month even if you didn''t cultivate.]" Yue Lan''s voice sounded, and Shen Yuan could almost imagine her shaking her head. Shen Yuan chuckled and put away his wine cup and gourd. He stood up and stretched, "Mmm..." He stood up straight as he looked at Xueyan. "Hmm, it''s a good time to call Big Sister Huo Rong. It''s been some time since we had a chat, and I can introduce Xueyan to her as well." He thought with a smile as he went forward and picked up Xueyan, who was lying down peacefully on the soft grass. He stroked her back and said, "You want to meet up with my big sister?" Xueyan raised her head and looked at him curiously while tilting her head. "...I will take that as a yes." Shen Yuan chuckled and sent a message to Huo Rong with his Harem Connect. "[Shen Yuan:¡ª Big Sis Huo Rong, you wanna meet up right now? I''m in my mansion inside the Inner Sect. I''ll send you the exact location if you wannae.]" He waited for the response while saying to Yue Lan, "It''s really good you made private chatting avable in the Harem Connect; otherwise, it would have been problematic to handle all of them at once if I wanted to meet with one of them." Yue Lan''s proud voice sounded, "[Hmph! Of course, you will get the best features; the system is created by me after all.]" Shen Yuan shook his head as he opened his mouth to say something, but his system screen showed an iing message. "[Huo Rong:¡ª Don''t worry about the location; I know where you''re staying. I will be there in a bit.]" Her voice sounded cheerful as she seemed to be quite happy to being to meet with Shen Yuan. He smiled lightly and sat down on his chair to wait for her. He put Xueyan on hisp while gently stroking her back. "I really can''t get bored of caressing you," he looked at Xueyan and spoke in amusement. "Purrr..." Xueyan purred as shey t on Shen Yuan''sp. "Well, at least you are enjoying your rest." He shook his head and closed his eyes to wait for Huo Rong. ... "Yuan''er." A voice sounded from his side as he opened his eyes and saw Huo Rong standing there with a beautiful smile on her face. "Been a while, Big Sis." Shen Yuan smiled widely upon seeing her. Huo Rong looked at Shen Yuan''sp to see Xueyan lying down, "Oh? You got yourself a beastpanion? What''s her name?" Shen Yuan stood up and put Xueyan on the chair instead, "Her name is Xueyan. By the way, how did you know her gender?" Huo Rong tapped her chin thoughtfully, "Hmm... what a beautiful name. I didn''t know your naming sense was so good. As for your question, it''s quite easy after someone reaches my level." Shen Yuan proudly raised his head. "Well, of course, the one you are talking about is me." Huo Rong giggled softly and shook her head, seeing him acting so smug. She moved forward a little and embraced Shen Yuan. "I missed you," she ced her head on his chest as his heartbeat resonated with hers. Shen Yuan smiled fondly and embraced her back, "It''s indeed been a while since we have been able to talk with each other like this." They stayed like that for a while, calming their beating hearts. Shen Yuan left her embrace after a while and pulled out a sofa from his storage ring. "Come, let''s sit down and have a little talk." He sat down and patted the right side next to him. Huo Rong smiled affectionately and sat down beside him. But before they could start talking, Xueyan jumped up from her chair and came onto Shen Yuan''sp. He looked at her in amusement and shook his head before patting her, "Alright, you can sit here as well." ''This little guy is acting more and more like an orange cat,'' he thought withughter as he remembered the monsters named Orange Cat from his past life. "What a cute little thing," Huo Rong said as she extended her hand to pat Xueyan, but before her hand could reach, Xueyan wiggled her body to the side to avoid her hand. Shen Yuanughed seeing this, while Huo Rong felt her lips twitching. "Sigh, what a troublesome thing. Anyways, do you know which species she is from?" Huo Rong turned her face to Shen Yuan and asked. "Hmm, I don''t know about that as well," he said while looking at Xueyan. "Show me her status screen, Lan''er." [Beast Companion: Xueyan ] [Species: Primal Nexus Beast] [Bloodline: Dormant Elite Tier (Special Mutation)] [Physique: Primal Nexus Physique (Supreme Tier)] [Cultivation Realm: 3rd Level Qi Gathering Realm] [Affinities: Fire, Frost, Shadow, Lightning] [Unique Traits:] [Primal Nexus Physique: Allows seamless bnce of all elemental affinities, enhancing versatility and power.] [Elemental Resonance: Canbine elements to create unique techniques (e.g., Frostfire Nova, Shadow Lightning Storm).] [Dormant Bloodline Awakening: Requires rare resources to unlock her full potential. Upon awakening, gains the ability to ascend beyond typical beast limitations.] [Limitless Growth: No cultivation bottlenecks. Growth is entirely resource-dependent.] Shen Yuan looked at her status window; it was a lot smaller than his, yet it contained all the details that he needed about her. "So, her species is called Primal Nexus Beast." He turned his face to look at Huo Rong before asking, "Have you heard about them, Big Sis?" Huo Rong thought about it long and hard but shook her head in the end, "No, I have not heard about them, but maybe you can find something in the Sect''s library." Chapter 222: Huo Rong Shen Yuan looked at her status window; it was a lot smaller than his, yet it contained all the details that he needed about her. "So, her species is called Primal Nexus Beast." He turned his face to look at Huo Rong before asking, "Have you heard about them, Big Sis?" Huo Rong thought about it long and hard but shook her head in the end, "No, I have not heard about them, but maybe you can find something in the Sect''s library." Shen Yuan nodded his head, "I will head to the libraryter. Anyways, tell me more about yourself, what work were you doing in the meantime?" Huo Rong exhaled a long sigh and put her head on his shoulder, "Sect Master dumped all the work of Bing Rong and Master on me. I was covering for both of them: looking after disciples, tending to the herb garden, taking stock of the inventory of our resources... and a lot more." Shen Yuan looked at her with surprise, "You actually did so much work." Huo Rong felt her lips twitching, "You thought I was resting inside the sect?" "Haha, I was just joking," he chuckled and wrapped his arm around her to bring her closer. "Want some tea?" "Sure." She nodded smilingly. Shen Yuan took out the utensils to make tea and some tea leaves as well. He ced Xueyan on the side of the sofa and lit up the fire with his Fire Intent. "Whoa, you learned Fire Intent already?" Huo Rong''s eyes widened in surprise as she saw him using Fire Intent. Shen Yuan smugly replied, "Of course, who do you think I am?" "And it''s at the second level at that. You really surprised me there, Yuan''er." She was still having a hard time believing it, as learning an Intent at Inner Sea Realm was practically unheard of. Most average cultivators start learning Intents at Extreme Origin Core Realm. "Oh, you are also a fire practitioner, right? So have you learned Fire Intent as well?" Shen Yuan curiously asked while making tea. It was Huo Rong''s turn to act smug as she replied with a proud voice, "Of course, I''m your sister after all; wouldn''t I look too bad if I hadn''t even mastered Intent at Mortal Tribtion Realm? I have learned 5th Level Fire Intent." Shen Yuan nodded his head with a smile, "Good, good, that''s what I call genius. I heard most people have difficulties passing 3rd Level Intent at Mortal Tribtion Realm, but you have already learned it to 5th level." Huo Rong turned slightly shy at Shen Yuan''s praise as she knew it was not only because of her. "Myprehension was also on the 3rd level before you gave me that technique and the pill. It boosted myprehension by a lot, and the technique made it easier to learn the Fire Intent." "At least the technique is helpful for you, so I guess Big Sis Bing Rong should be on a simr level." Shen Yuan finished preparing tea and poured it into two cups before serving one to Huo Rong. Huo Rong softly blew on her cup before taking a sip, her eyes lit up as she tasted how good the tea was. "Yes, she has also reached the same level." Shen Yuan nodded his head and began to drink his tea in peace. They continued to sit there in tranquility, Xueyany down on Shen Yuan''s legs as she seemed content to be there. After finishing the tea, Huo Rong asked, "By the way, have you bonded with the beast, or ced a seal inside her?" Xueyan stood up and growled at Huo Rong. Shen Yuan smiled seeing her acting like this. He picked her up and embraced her while patting her back, "No need to get angry, she was just curious." He turned his head and answered Huo Rong, "There is no need for that, I will just let her be free and y here." Huo Rong nodded as she stood up, "Well, when will you decorate this mansion? I guess you will be staying here for a pretty long time until you be a Core Disciple." Shen Yuan smiled, "I doubt I will stay here for more than a month. During thatpetition, I will dominate the ranking and the sect will be forced to elevate my position. Otherwise, the disciples will raise fingers: ''Why is Shen Yuan still an Inner Disciple when his strength is clearly greater than some of the Core Disciples,'' or something along those lines." Huo Rong thought hard about what he said while he stood up, "What you said is true. If you perform well enough, then the sect will be forced to promote you, and the disciples will ept you more easily if you helped the Sect win glory." Shen Yuan left Xueyan on the ground while saying, "Now, be good and stay here. I have something to discuss with Big Sis Huo Rong." Xueyan tilted her head and jumped back in her chair. Shey down and closed her eyes. "You can eat these in the meantime," Shen Yuan said and dropped a pile of Mid Tier Spirit Stones. Xueyan''s nose twitched as she smelled the delicious fragrance of Mid Tier Spirit Stones; she jumped down and gulped down one of the Spirit Stones as her horn shone brighter. Shen Yuan and Huo Rong looked at this scene in amusement as he started walking inside the main building. Huo Rong curiously followed after him while asking, "What do you want to talk about, that you had to go inside the main building?" Shen Yuan smiled mysteriously as he opened the gate and motioned for her to enter, "It''s quite important; get inside and I will tell you." Huo Rong tilted her head but entered inside the building nheless. Shen Yuan followed from behind as he closed the door. "So, what is it that you wan¡ª" Huo Rong''s eyes widened as Shen Yuan came forward and tightly hugged her while locking their lips in a passionate kiss. Huo Rong first tried to push him back softly but soon felt herself falling deeper into the abyss of pleasure. Shen Yuan extended one of his hands to her lower side and gently traced lines on her back. She moved her hands upwards and grabbed his head tightly. After kissing for a while, they separated as they took deep breaths. "Yuan''er¡ª" Shen Yuan put a finger on her lips as he softly whispered in her ear. "Let me take care of you now; it''s been a while since we have done it." Huo Rong turned red as she also wanted to do it but couldn''t find the courage to say it straight to him. Shen Yuan smirked, seeing her nod softly while remaining silent. He softly spanked her bottom and said, "Let''s head to my room." Huo Rong squealed softly as her face turned a deeper shade of red. Shen Yuan gently grabbed her hand as she followed him towards his room. Shen Yuan opened the gate and they both entered it. He smiled slightly as he turned around to see her lowered head in embarrassment. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 223: Huo Rong II [R18] "Haha, let''s see how much time it will take me to make you speak profane words as well." He smirked and gently pushed her on the bed. Huo Rongy down on the bed, her zed eyes locked onto his. Shen Yuan slowly undressed, relieving his toned body. She subconsciously licked her lips as her eyes rested on his sculpted physique. "How many times are you going to look at me with those dazed eyes?" He smirked as he got on top of the bed and closed the distance between them, "Don''t you think it''s unfair that I''m the only one naked?" Before Huo Rong could say anything else, Shen Yuan moved his hand and began to slowly undress her. Huo Rongposed herself as she helped Shen Yuan in undressing herself. Shen Yuan appreciated her supple body and softly grabbed her breast. "Truly a work of art." Hemented with a yful smirk. "Nnn" Huo Rong softly moaned as she felt Shen Yuan''s hand gently fondle her beast. She opened her eyes and stared straight at Shen Yuan before extending her hand and wrapping it around his neck. Shen Yuan''s eyes widened slightly at her unexpected actions, but she weed her with open arms as she gave him a deep wet kiss. Slurp The wet and intense noises filled the room as they became lost in their pleasure. "Haah...haan" After some time the kiss broke as the two of them took deep breaths. Shen Yuan felt his dick throb when he felt it rubbing against her wet pussy. "Yuan''er..." Huo Rong needily spoke his name as she stared at him with passionate eyes. Shen Yuan gently caressed her cheek and yfully whispered in her ear, "Let''s try something today." Huo Rong looked at him in confusion as he turned her body around, "You remember reading those Dual Cultivation manuals? There was a doggy style in it. Let''s try it." Huo Rong felt shy at first but nodded as she also wanted to try something new, she got on all fours while wiggling her ass softly at Shen Yuan. "Heh, started to get naughty already?" Shen Yuan smirked and ced his hand on her butt. "Ngh~" She moaned softly as Shen Yuan gently caressed her bouncy ass. He didn''t waste time as he rubbed his dick on her pussy to make it lubricate it. Huo Rong suppressed her moans as her pussy twitched in anticipation. Shen Yuan smiled mischievously as he saw her wiggle her butt at him, he didn''t put it in but continued rubbing it on her pussy instead. She ground her pussy on his dick, "Uhnn~" she moaned softly as Shen Yuan roughly grabbed her ass. Huo Rong let out a soft gasp as she felt Shen Yuan''s hard dick sliding between her wet folds from behind. "Mmm~ Yuan''er, I''ve been aching for you for so long..." She purred, arching her back to press her ass against his dick. "Please, don''t tease me anymore. I need you inside me now!" Huo Rong begged shamelessly, reaching back to spread her cheeks apart in wanton invitation as she rested her head on the pillow. Her pink pussy glistened with arousal, visibly twitching and ready to be filled by her brother''s thick cock. "Well, alright, I won''t tease you any longer." He whispered as he leaned forward and slowly pushed his dick deeper into her folds. "Ahn~" Huo Rong moaned as she felt Shen Yuan''s dick filling her insides. Shen Yuan grinned wickedly at his sister''s lewd disy of need. Gripping her hips, he aligned his throbbing dick with her dripping entrance. "Since you''re begging for it so sweetly, how can I possibly refuse?" With one powerful thrust, he hilted himself fully inside Huo Rong''s tight pussy, drawing a sharp cry of pleasure from her lips. "Ahhh! Yuan''er, you''re so big!" She whimpered, cing her hand on the bed for support. Shen Yuan slowed his thrusts, gazing at Huo Rong with tender eyes as he gently caressed her ass. "You''re so beautiful like this, my dear sister. I cherish every moment we share." He peppered soft kisses along her spine, his hips rocking slowly in and out of her slick pussy. "Mmm Yuan''er, you are even more intoxicating," Huo Rong sighed dreamily, melting under her brother''s intense touch. As their passionate sex continued, Shen Yuan gradually increased the intensity of his thrusts, gripping Huo Rong''s hips tighter as he pounded into her from behind. "You feel incredibly wrapped around my cock, big sister. I can''t hold back anymore!" Huo Rong cried out in ecstasy as Shen Yuan''s thick dick stretched and filled her so perfectly. "Yes, Yuan''er! Fuck me harder! Don''t stop!" She begged shamelessly, pushing her ass back to meet his powerful thrusts. Their bodies undted intensely in lust as Shen Yuan hungrily pounded Huo Rong''s sopping cunt, his heavy balls pping against her clit with each thrust. "Uhnn, your cunt feels the best!" He snarled, while tightly grabbing her ass. Huo Rong''s voluptuous breasts swung wildly beneath her as Shen Yuan fucked her, grunting and moaning with her. "Fuck, I''m close! Take up my load!" He grunted loudly, thrusting into her pussy deeply. Huo Rong moaned loudly, her tongue lolling out as her brother''s thick cock stretched her pussy to the limit, hitting depths she never knew existed. "Cum in me Yuan''er! I need it! Please!" She babbled incoherently, pussy clenching like a vice around his throbbing shaft. With a loud groan, Shen Yuan buried himself to the hilt and exploded, painting Huo Rong''s insides white with his hot seed. She moaned loudly as his cum flooded her womb, trigging her own mind-shattering orgasm. "YESSS~ Cum inside me!" Huo Rong wailed, convulsing uncontrobly as wave after wave of intense pleasure crashed over her. Shen Yuan dropped on top of her with his dick inside still inside. "Haah...haah..." They both took deep breaths to calm down from their intense sessions. "That...was... incredible...Yuan''er." Huo Rong spoke through her ragged breaths. Shen Yuan moved his hand slightly to caress her ass. "You did amazing there." He moved down slightly as theyy down side by side as her pussy released his dick with a plop sound. But Huo Rong soon moved as she didn''t find herself content to lie down on the side. She got on top of him and put his dick inside of her pussy again as shey down on top of him. Her perky breaths were firmly ced on top of him as she closed her eyes happily. Shen Yuan shook his head seeing her actions as he closed his eyes to take rest as well. ... After what felt like an eternity, Shen Yuan''s eyes fluttered open as the first thing he saw was the naked body of Huo Rong lying on top of him. He gently caressed her face as he felt the Eternal Yin-Yang Sutra storing all the Yin Energy inside her Primordial Yin which was resting beside Shen Yuxin and Bing Rong''s Primordial Yin in his dantian. ''If their Primordial Yin continued to get nourished like this, then I don''t know when I will be able to fully absorb them.'' He thought to himself in amusement. Huo Rong''s eyes slowly opened as the first thing she saw in the morning was Shen Yuan''s gentle smile. Chapter 224: Morning Bath Huo Rong gently smiled as she ced her hand on top of Shen Yuan''s hand, "Good morning, Yuan''er." Shen Yuan chuckled as he kissed her head while whispering back, "Good morning to you as well, Big Sis." They silently stared at each other as the morning sun rose high above the sky. Huo Rong broke the silence as she asked, "So, have you thought about what to take from the Sect Treasury?" Shen Yuan gently stroked her head and answered, "Hmm... I don''t know if the sect has what I''m looking for." Huo Rong cutely tilted her head as she asked, "Why don''t you tell me what you are looking for? I know quite a lot of treasures in the Treasuries; I might be able to help." Shen Yuan looked at her for a moment as he answered, "I''m looking for cultivation techniques, particrly Space-Rted Cultivation Techniques." "Huh? Why are you looking for cultivation techniques? Don''t you already have one? And it''s something totally unheard of in the Eastern Deste Region." Huo Rong got up from atop him and sat down on the side. Shen Yuan appreciated her naked body while replying, "I will exin when Mom and Big Sis Bing Rong are also here. For now, do you know where I can find it?" Huo Rong lowered her head as she thought deeply about it for a while, "Hmm... Space-Rted Cultivation Techniques are some of the rarest things you can find in the Eastern Deste Region. I doubt there will be even a single one in the entire sect, and if there is one, then its quality won''t be high." Shen Yuan''s eyes twitched as he heard his fantasy about getting a Space-Rted technique from the Treasure Pavilion shattering right there. Huo Rong saw Shen Yuan''s expression from the corner of her eyes as sheforted him, "Don''t worry about it though, I''m sure Master will have a solution for that." Shen Yuan shook his head with a bitter smile, "I can get them as well, but they will cost me quite a bit of Chaos Coins." Huo Rong''s eyes widened in surprise, "Yue Lan also has Space Cultivation Techniques?" But she felt her question was silly as soon as she finished saying it. [Of course I have them, but this stingy guy doesn''t wanna buy them from me.] Yue Lan''s yful voice sounded inside the room. "You just wanna rip me off. I can find a Space-Rted Cultivation Technique on my own and even learn Spatial Intent." Shen Yuan stood up from the bed while stretching his body. [Yeah yeah sure, let me see where you can find them.] Yue Lan''sughter resounded in the room as she fell silent. Shen Yuan shook his head, "I will be going to take a bath, you wanna join in?" He turned around to look at Huo Rong and yfully asked. Huo Rong also became bolder after the actions ofst night as she said, "As much as I would love to do that, I also need to handle sect work. I already ran away from it yesterday; Sect Master will give me an earful if I didn''t hurry back now." Shen Yuanughed as he saw her using her Fire Intent to cleanse her body of everything. She then slowly began wearing her robes, making sure Shen Yuan had a good show to watch while she did so. Shen Yuan appreciated all of it, and after a while, he turned around as he saw her getting ready to leave. "I will probably go look at the Treasure Pavilion to see what they have." His voice echoed in the room as he left. Huo Rong only smiled sweetly as she vanished with a spark of me. ... "Aaaah~" Shen Yuan exhaled a long breath as he bathed in the warm water. "I nearly forgot the joy of bathing after using techniques to cleanse myself for so long." He spoke aloud while closing his eyes to enjoy the moment to the fullest. [Yuan''er, if you continue to look for techniques like this, then it will take forever for you to get so many of them to fill your Dantians.] Yue Lan spoke in a serious tone as she didn''t want Shen Yuan to waste too much of his time looking for useless techniques. "I know about it, and don''t worry. I already have a n, but I might not be able to find the best techniques for each Dantian like the Inferno Smithing Technique." He said while rxing. [That¡ªyou need not worry about; you can change your cultivation technique for the 365 Dantians which evolved from the Acupoints after reaching the Origin Core Creation Realm.] Shen Yuan opened his eyes in surprise as he sat down straight in his small pool, "Hmm? What do you mean? How is that possible? Wouldn''t I need a special pill like what I gave to my family? I was expecting to use them to change cultivation techniques in the future." Yue Lan manifested on the side of the small pool in her cat form as she shook her head. [Think, Shen Yuan, think. Do you have any foundation with those techniques inside your Dantians? Like how the Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art changed your entire physique? You can''t even make cores or a Nascent Soul in your other Dantians. They will forever remain like that, but they will limitlessly reinforce your foundation with the Primordial Vessel Cultivation Technique.] "Then what changes will there be once I''m at the Origin Core Creation Realm?" He asked right away as he wanted to know these answers which can impact how he moves from now on. [At that level, you will create a core inside your body which will contain your everything. It will be like a fixed point in a timeline; you can do anything around it, but you won''t be able to change it.] Shen Yuan lowered his head in contemtion as he thought about her words, "Hmm... what you say does make sense, so I can just learn a lower-level technique for now and change itter when I have a better technique for that element?" [Yes, the basic requirement is to have the same or simr element; you can''t change your fire-attributed cultivation technique to a water-attributed cultivation technique.] Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up with pleasant surprise as he nodded his head while saying, "I see, well this makes things much easier. I will first need to find a few more techniques¡ª" [Wait, don''t learn a lot of techniques at once. It will be better if you only learn the necessary techniques for now, like the space-attributed cultivation technique. Because you will need to bring up the cultivation base of that Dantian to the same level to have the most effects, and if you learn too many techniques at once, then your cultivation will be stagnant for a long time.] Shen Yuan paused as he rubbed the back of his head, "I forgot about that due to excitement. Then I will look for the space-attributed cultivation technique first." [You can buy it from the s¡ª] "No." Shen Yuan tly refused as he stood up from the small pool, "I looked at the prices for space-attributed cultivation techniques before. And the cheapest one was like 500,000 Chaos Coins. You might as well rob me." Chapter 225: Treasury [I can''t really do much about it though; due to my binding with you, all of my powers were sealed. I''m borrowing the power of the Grand Dao to create Chaos Coins by ying with its rules. That''s why you get the coins for quests and dual cultivation techniques.] Yue Lan jumped back to not get wet by the sshing water as she exined her situation. "...I don''t think I understood what you mean, but basically you are restricted and can''t help me fully right now. Then for how long will you be restricted?" He asked as he dried himself with his Fire Intent and moved to grab his white robes and pants. [You need to reach higher nes for that. But with the rate you are cultivating... it shouldn''t take too long.] Yue Lan happily said as she turned into particles and went back inside Shen Yuan''s Sea of Consciousness. Shen Yuan stared at the ce Yue Lan was sitting, "Hmm... looks like you are quite eager to lift your restrictions." [Hmph! Of course, who likes to be restricted?] Yue Lan replied moodily. Shen Yuan smiled as he realized her restrictions were a sore spot for her. "Anyways, I will go to the Treasure Pavilion for now and see what they have in store for me." He said as he finished wearing his clothes. [Good, you do that while I will take some quality sleep.] "Wait, you didn''t tell me how many Chaos Coins I got during this dual cultivation session?" Shen Yuan hurriedly said. [Oh, forgot to tell you. Well, you earned around 25,000 Chaos Coins. Keep up the good work though. If you continue at this rate, you will sooner orter be able to break through to the peak of this world.] Shen Yuan lowered his head as he made calctions, "So, I need to dual cultivate with one of my Dao Companions about 20 times to be able to afford the worst space cultivation technique from the store." His eyes twitched as he realized once more how high the price of the cultivation techniques was. While shaking his head, he stepped outside of his mansion and began walking in the direction of the Treasure Pavilion. ... Shen Yuan stood in front of the Treasure Pavilion. Looking up, he saw the grand structure emanating an ancient aura. The towering building was made of ck jade, etched with glowing runes that seemed to be reinforcing the walls. A pair of enormous golden doors adorned with intricate carvings of mythical beasts stood before him. He couldn''t help but admire the grandeur of the pavilion as he muttered under his breath, "No matter which building I see in the sect, the craftsmanship still amazes me." He didn''t stop for long as he entered the pavilion, together with the other disciples who were throwing nces at him from time to time. Once inside, he saw the counter where Inner Sect disciples were tending to the disciples who wereing and going. He went up to one of them and spoke politely, "Greetings, may I inquire about the rewards that I was supposed to get?" The disciple was also looking at him from before. She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Shen Yuan''s voice as she hurriedly nodded her head, "Yes, please give me a moment to verify it with the Elders here." She got up from her position and left to verify. Shen Yuan nodded as he silently stood in front of the counter. Soon after, she returned with a relieved smile. She came in front of Shen Yuan and said cheerfully, "You can enter from that door by showing your identity medallion," she pointed at the door on the side with a groove for cing the identity medallion. "You can take any one treasure or cultivation manual or anything from the treasury. Oh, and the elders told me to inform you that you can also stack the reward and get a better dealter if you didn''t find anything to your liking." She continued to talk as she stared at him with bright eyes. Shen Yuan nodded his head continuously as he listened to her exnation, "Thanks for the help," he thanked her with a nod, as he soon followed up with a question, "But why are you staring at me like that? Have we met before?" The disciple hurriedly shook her head and replied, "Oh no no, nothing of the sort. My name is Gao Yan; my little sister is Gao Xiu. She told me about what you all did inside the Mystique Realm, and to say the least, I have be your fan ever since." Shen Yuan looked at her in amusement as finding someone as frank as her was rare in a sect like this, "You don''t have to think too much about it. I just did what I could in my power to secure the most benefits for my juniors." Gao Yan shook her head again, "If there was someone else in your shoes, he would have first thought about securing benefits for himself or might not even help his fellow disciples at all. But you... you gave all of them equal chance topete for inheritances." Shen Yuan smiled but didn''t say anything else. "Oh, look at me, sorry for taking so much of your time. You can enter the treasury by cing your identity medallion there." Gao Yan hurriedly bowed and apologized while pointing at the groove on the gate. Shen Yuan lightly grabbed her shoulder and lifted her up before nodding his head, "There is no need to apologize, and thanks for the help." Gao Yan stood up straight and gave him a small smile. Shen Yuan turned around and walked towards the gate before taking out his identity badge and cing it on the gate. It fit perfectly in the groove as runes lit up all over the gate. After scanning the identity medallion, the lights receded as the identity token got pushed out while the gate split apart and slowly opened inwardly. Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up as he felt a rush of ancient aura, but he couldn''t see anything inside as the gate and the other part of the treasury seemed to be protected by different barriers, ''I might really find something decent here.'' He thought with excitement as he entered inside and the gates behind him slowly closed. The view inside only added to his excitement as he was greeted by the sight of endless shelves stretching into the distance. Each shelf gleamed with treasures that radiated various elemental auras¡ªglowing weapons, lost artifacts, cultivation techniques, battle arts, and ancient scrolls encased inside formations. The interior was illuminated by orbs of light floating all around. His eyes wandered over the artifacts as he walked deeper into the treasury. ''With such a vast collection, there must be something here worth taking,'' he thought, his lips forming an excited smile. Soon, an elder dressed in flowing robes approached him. The elder''s aura was peaceful yet strict, exuding the air of someone who had spent centuries or even millenniums safeguarding these treasures. "Shen Yuan, correct?" the elder asked, her voice steady andposed. Shen Yuan cupped his hands respectfully. "Yes, Elder. I was told I could select one treasure from the treasury." Chapter 226: Selecting a Treasure The elder slowly nodded her head. "I was informed about that already, so do you have something in mind, or would you like to browse the treasury?" Shen Yuan didn''t think for long as he answered, "I would like to see the Cultivation Manual section." The elder nodded her head and turned around, beginning to walk. "Follow me." Shen Yuan followed after her as they crossed one section after another. After walking for a bit, they both arrived in front of a shelf filled with different cultivation techniques. Shen Yuan looked at the vast collection of manuals. ''I might find something worthwhile after all.'' "Here, you can browse the contents of these manuals to your heart''s content and decide if you want to take one of them or not," the elder said before walking back some distance and sitting down. Shen Yuan lightly nodded his head and stepped forward, reaching out for one of the manuals on the shelf. He opened it, flipping through the pages and scanning its contents. ''If I remember correctly, the peak technique in the Outer Sect was at the Earth Rank, while most of them were on the Mortal and Spirit tiers. On the other hand here... most of them are on the Earth Tier,'' he thought to himself as he nced up at the other shelves. ''And this is a Peak-Grade Earth Technique... zing Steps of the Meteor? Not bad; it''s on the same level as my Radiant Lotus sh. Too bad it''s already not enough for me.'' He shook his head and ced the manual back, moving to look at the next one. Time passed as he methodically browsed through the manuals on the shelves. Each one seemed to hold some value but nothing truly fit him. "High Grade Earth Technique... ''Iron Mountain Defense''... why is this technique even in this sect? But it''s good for body refinement¡ªnot what I need right now with these physiques." Shen Yuan sighed as his excitement began to slowly drop. He continued, moving from one row to the next, asionally pausing to inspect a technique that looked to hold potential. Yet, each time he put the technique back in disappointment. "This one... Low Grade Heaven Technique, ''Celestial Lotus Palm''. While it is strong, it is not suited for my battle style. My lower-level techniques will work better than this one." Another manual was ced back in its ce. The elder, who had been quietly observing Shen Yuan from her seat, noticed his growing frustration from theck of suitable techniques, but she didn''t interfere. Shen Yuan finally exhaled a long sigh and stopped going through the manuals. He had had enough after going through dozens of them. He muttered under his breath, "The hell, why is this Treasure Pavilion so underwhelming? Nothing here meets my expectations. Either the techniques are too weak or don''t suit my style." He turned to nce at the elder, hesitating for a moment. His eyes shifted to the other side of the treasury where hundreds of other shelves were located, emanating enticing auras capable of making any Inner Sect disciple drool. ''There''s no point in wasting time on other treasures if I can''t even find a cultivation technique that''s worthwhile. I''ll just stack my reward for now and wait until I have better options or resources when I be a Core Disciple.'' Taking a deep breath, Shen Yuan walked back to the elder, who looked at him calmly. "Found something worthwhile?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Shen Yuan cupped his hands and shook his head. "Nothing in here interests me. I''ve decided to stack the rewards for now. I will just earn contribution points and wait to gain entry into the Core Sect." The elder''s lips curved into a faint smile. "A wise choice. I''ve seen disciples being tempted to take a great treasure from here when they get an opportunity, irrespective of whether it is useful for them or not. Very rarely do disciples like youe who have a clear goal in mind and are not distracted by smaller things." "Thank you for your praise, Elder," Shen Yuan respectfully said. The elder stood, her flowing robes shifting with her movement as she gestured towards the exit. "You may leave the treasury now. The gate will recognize your identity medallion and grant you leave." Shen Yuan nodded his head and walked back towards the grand gates of the treasury. As he took out his medallion and raised it a bit higher, the gates began to open slowly as the barrier appeared in front of him. ncing back, he saw the elder gently smiling at him. He turned around and exited the treasury through the barrier. ... [Weren''t you awfully respectful of that elder, Yuan''er? Do you like her already?] Yue Lan''s teasing voice sounded in his mind as he exited the treasury. Shen Yuan''s eyes twitched as he felt like pping her. ''You know the reason as well as I do; the pressure around her body was at leastparable to Elder Xiang Mei, who is already much stronger than the Inner Sect elders.'' [Hehe, but it''s not a bad option to try to woo her.] Shen Yuan shook his head as if he couldn''t be bothered with her. "Now... what should I do? I don''t have much to do as my cultivation will reach the peak slowly; no point in hastening it." [Oh, I know what you can do.] [Ding!] [New Quest: The Forge''s Reputation] [Objective: Establish yourself as a reputable cksmith in the Inner Sect within 7 days. Forge at least five Tier 3 artifacts or weapons for Inner Sect disciples and gain positive recognition from at least two Inner Sect elders.] [Rewards: Second Section of the Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art and 200,000 Chaos Coins.] [Penalty: Loss of 500,000 Coins.] Shen Yuan paused in his steps as he focused his gaze on the system panel which manifested in front of him out of nowhere. "A new quest? It''s been quite a long time since Ist got one," he said as he rubbed his chin and nced down to see the mission details. "cksmithing, huh. I need to forge 5 Tier 3 artifacts or weapons for disciples within 7 days and need the approval of 2 Inner Sect elders?" [Bing Rong and Huo Rong won''t count.] Shen Yuan didn''t bother with that as he asked, "Why this mission, though? Isn''t this just a waste of time?" [It''s not a waste of time when you have nothing better to do. And you needed to learn different professions as you had nned before. I can''t give you the cultivation techniques without a quest as well. So all in all, it was better to give you a quest,] Yue Lan patiently exined. "That is all good, but do you understand the absurdity of this quest? People can''t reach this level even after centuries of training," he said as he continued walking without further looking at the screen. [Does that matter?] She mischievously asked. Shen Yuan confidently smiled, "It doesn''t matter. I need at least this level of challenge to be thrilled." [That''s my boy.] Shen Yuan''s eyes twitched. "Where are you learning this manner of talking from?" Chapter 227: Blacksmithing [Hmm? Didn''t you used to watch shows where characters talked like this?] "Sigh... Anyways, the rewards are quite nice. I nearly forgot that I didn''t have the rest of the Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art," he continued to say with a smile. [Now, you should go ahead and make preparations for the quest. This won''t be an easy one,] Yue Lan spoke in a rare serious tone. Shen Yuan felt his fighting intent surging. He walked towards the market to buy some necessary stuff and headed towards the mansion. ... Aftering out from multiple spatial portals, he reached his mansion. "Now, I should set up the smithy in one of the side buildings. I''m not expecting any guests in them anyways for the time being," he talked to himself as he went towards the side building on the left. He pushed the gates of the building as he saw that the insides were nearly empty. "This is the good thing about this ce¡ªto get your own decorations and furniture for side buildings, but I don''t have to bother with this, hehe." After walking inside, he looked around and walked to the center. He took out the furnace and ced it there before activating the formations on it to have it fixed. "Good, now this won''t move from here," smiling happily, he took out the rest of the equipment which he had gotten from the Mystique Realm. He arranged the forging tools neatly around the furnace, ensuring everything was in its proper ce. He threw in some me Crystals inside the furnace and ignited them using his Fire Intent. The mes danced wildly within, casting a warm glow throughout the room. The formations he embedded in the walls using formation tes got activated, circting the heat evenly and enhancing the forge''s efficiency. "Now, everything is set," Shen Yuan said with a satisfied nod. "Time to test my hand at cksmithing." He had never formally learned cksmithing before, but his confidence stemmed from his highprehension and perfect body control. Taking out a chunk ofmon spirit ore from his storage ring, he ced it into the roaring furnace. Using his Fire Intent, he carefully monitored the temperature, watching as the metal began to glow bright orange slowly. "Seems about right," he muttered. Using a pair of tongs, he removed the heated metal and ced it onto the anvil. Grabbing a hammer, he took a deep breath and swung it down onto the glowing ore. The impact sent a shockwave up his arm, but the metal barely changed shape. "Hmm? Do I need to hit it harder?" he thought. He raised the hammer and struck again, this time with more force. The iron ttened slightly but unevenly, and cracks began to appear on the surface. He frowned, looking at the cracked ore. Shen Yuan realized something was wrong. "That doesn''t look like the right way to do it." Still, he didn''t give up with one minor setback. He reheated the metal and tried again, adjusting his stance and grip. However, each attempt led to simr results¡ªthe metal either cracked, deformed irregrly, or failed to take the desired shape. After several hours and numerous failed attempts, he started to get frustrated. "What am I doing wrong? Why does this seem so hard? Should I have bought a book like the alchemy book from the system?" he eximed and thought, wiping the sweat from his brow. A soft chuckle echoed in his mind. [Perhaps because you''ve never learned the basics of cksmithing?] Yue Lan teased. He sighed. [I wanted to see whether I could figure it out myself.] [Even the most talented cultivators need guidance in their cultivation,] she replied gently. [There''s more to cksmithing than just heating and hammering metal.] Shen Yuan leaned against the anvil, contemting her words in silence. "You''re right. Hmm, can you help me out here? What is the price for a Basic cksmithing Manual?" [Haha, of course, I can help you. You only need to ask for it. And as a special price, it will be 200,000 Chaos Coins. I can give you a basic cksmithing Technique together with it as well.] His eyes twitched. "Is it just me, or did you love to increase the prices of stuff inside the store?" [Well, the prices will increase together with your cultivation, so I would say you buy everything when you have the chance. And the spike in price for this one is justified.] "Are you charging me for something extra as well? Like some constion fees or something?" he suspiciously asked. [Quality guidance doesn''te free,] she retorted yfully. "..." He speechlessly shook his head. "Fair enough, give me those two manuals." [Ding!] [Congrattions, host, for purchasing the Basic cksmithing Manual and Basic Cultivation Technique.] A stream of information flooded his mind¡ªtechniques for forging, insights into metal properties, proper hammering methods, and the importance of timing and temperature. The manual covered everything from the basics of tool handling to the nuances of imbuing Qi into created weapons or artifacts. "Damn, it''s the same as the Basic Alchemy Manual but better. It has all the details of Tier 1, Tier 2, and even Tier 3. No wonder it cost me that much," he murmured, absorbing all the new knowledge. Feeling his motivation at an all-time high, Shen Yuan decided to start afresh. He selected another piece of Spirit Ore and heated it carefully, paying close attention to the color changes indicating the temperature. Once it reached a bright yellow glow, he retrieved it from the furnace and ced it on the anvil. This time, he held the hammer correctly, positioning his feet for better bnce. He struck the metal with measured force, ttening it evenly. Seeing the metal not cracking or getting disfigured, his confidence boosted as he began pounding the Spirit Ore rhythmically, its sound echoing inside the entire room. He folded the Spirit Ore and hammered it to increase its strength and remove impurities. As he worked, he infused a small amount of his Qi into each strike, bncing each of his blows precisely. He smiled, seeing his work being nearly finished as he struck again, but as soon as the hammer hit the Spirit Ore, it smashed the ore into pieces as the hammer continued down and hit the anvil. Shen Yuan froze on his spot as he didn''t think something like this would happen. "Wha¡ªhow?" [You lost focus, Yuan''er. You need more experience before you can start doing your work even with a lot of distractions.] Shen Yuan took a deep breath before exhaling. "I will just start again; I refuse to believe that I can''t make a weapon even if I try my hardest." He threw the broken Spirit Ore into a pile of scrap metal as he took out a new one, cing it in the furnace and waiting for it to heat up. After a while, he carefully took it out using his tongs as he ced it on the anvil and picked up the hammer. "Nice and steady; haste makes waste," he muttered under his breath. He began hammering the metal rhythmically, slowly reaching the same level as his previous attempt. He folded the Spirit Ore after hammering it enough and hammered it again to increase its durability and strength. Chapter 228: Huo Rong and Bing Rong Without losing focus, he continued hammering in a rhythmic way, molding the raw metal to his heart''s desire. And before long, the metal began to slowly take shape of a long sword. Finally, he quenched the shaped de in a vat of water. Steam rose high as the metal cooled rapidly. He lifted the sword and examined it closely under the light. It was simple and unadorned, but the de was straight, and he felt the bnce to be quite great. A smile spread across his face. "Not perfect but much better than my previous try." [Congrattions,] Yue Lan said warmly with a genuine tone. [You''ve sessfully forged your first Low Grade Tier One Sword. It might be the lowest rank sword, but being able to sessfully forge it under a day is an aplishment in and of itself.] He gave the de a few test swings. It felt bnced in his hand, but the weight seemed lighter than what he was used to. "Thank you for the manual; I would have needed to go back to the treasury otherwise to get it." He paused as he thought of his inheritance. "I would have liked if I had gotten theplete Inheritance of the Inferno Smith instead of just his Cultivation Technique. I didn''t even get the manual for artifacts or weapon forging." [You have the system to buy the things that you can''t find outside, and the Basic cksmith Manual is totally worth it. After all, it epasses the details of ores, minerals, where to find them, what reactions they will have if mixed with a different kind, among other things.] He nodded his head as her words were true; he wouldn''t be able to find a manual asplete as this one in the outside world. [As for the technique, I''m sure you will get a better one once you have ess to the True Legacy of the Pagoda Bearing Monarch. I have a feeling you will be able to ess at least the first level when you break through to the next level.] "What was even the point of me getting this Pagoda if I can''t even open it until I''m at Origin Core Creation Realm? I would have been killed multiple times if I was just an average cultivator." Shen Yuan shook his head as he thought the activation requirements were absurd of the Monarch. [Well, think about it from his perspective. Would you want someone who can''t even save himself to get his hands on your inheritance? And Origin Core Creation Realm might not even have been that big of a deal for him back in his prime.] [And not any ordinary cultivator could havepleted those challenges, not to mention it''s not even been a few months since you got the Pagoda and you are already nearing the Origin Core Creation Realm.] Shen Yuan thought about it again, as he also wouldn''t want someone so weak to take over his inheritance. "Sigh, what''s done is done. I should continue making artifacts; at the end of the day, I need to make at least a High Tier 1 sword." He shook his head and threw the sword inside of a box that he had ced to store swords. [That''s a good goal. You would need to improve at least at this rate if you want to clear the mission.] Shen Yuan nodded his head and took out another piece of Spirit Ore. "Let me make another one of the same grade before I move to try higher tier ones." He delved back into heating the ore before hammering it and repeated this process over and over again. ... "Good, another Low Grade Tier 1 Sword is ready." He wiped the sweat from his brow as he saw the sword cooling down inside the water. The steam filled the room as the formations worked to release it outside. He pulled it out and felt the weight of the sword in his hand. "Hmm... it''s better than before; the weight is better bnced as well." After weighing it enough, he swung it around to see its edges. [It''s a good sword, typically what you see in the market.] "Hehe, it will be quite funny to watch when the Sect Leader learns of my smithing ability. She gave me the award to choose to have the Sect cksmith make a custom weapon for me, but what''s the use of it now when I can make a weapon for myself?" he said while smiling yfully. [Will you name these swords?] Yue Lan curiously asked. "Hmm... I could, but what''s the point when I will make dozens of them? I will let their owner name them so they can feel closer to their weapons." He shook his head with a smile. [Just like you with your Crimson Devourer.] "Precisely." He ced the second sword in the box and went in front of the forge again. "Time to try for a higher tier sword," he said while taking out a bigger chunk of Raw Spirit Ore. He looked at therge chunk of ore before cing it in the furnace to heat it up. "I will need to purify it further and concentrate the essence to make a higher tier metal with it." [Or you can just use a higher tier ore from the start.] "I''m still learning; that would be quite wasteful of me to do so, and I can perfect my basics better by using low-quality ores for forging weapons," he said while waiting for the ore to heat up. Yue Lan also got silent so as to let him focus on artifact forging. ... "How was your first night with him?" Huo Rong''s teasing voice rang out in a garden as she and Bing Rong sat together in one of the mansions in the Core Sect. Bing Rong lowered her head as her face turned a shade of red. "Oh,e on, no need to be shy. Didn''t I tell you about mine already?" She sat opposite her at a table and rested her face on her hands while staring at her yfully. Bing Rong gathered her courage and said in a soft voice, "...it was nice." "What? Just that?" Huo Rong purposely said in a loud voice and continued with a smirk, "It was heavenly for me; I already can''t wait to experience it again." "Didn''t you go to visit him yesterday? You can never be satisfied," Bing Rong said with a twitch of her lips as she knew very well what this sister of hers was up to. Huo Rong didn''t feel embarrassed one bit as she smugly said, "Of course, how can I have enough of my dear younger brother? If anything, I just want him more and more." Bing Rong softly bit her lips; she wanted to express her thoughts but felt too shy to say anything. Huo Rong looked at her internal struggle as she stood up from her seat and sat down beside her. "You know, you need to chase your dreams yourself if you want them. No need to hold yourself back if you want to see him; he also wants to spend as much time with us as we want to spend with him." Chapter 229: Void Bing Rong raised her head and looked at the sincere look on Huo Rong''s face. She thought about it for a second and nodded, "Then I will go to visit him tomorrow or the day after that. After all, you just visited him." "That''s my sister!" Huo Rong cheered her up as she was happy that her sister was opening up. "But anyways, what do you think about the girls gathered around him? I''m sure he at least likes a few of them; he just hasn''t said anything because he doesn''t seem to have any n of making a move on them just now." Huo Rong looked at her seriously and asked. Bing Rong thought about Shen Yuan as a sweet smile formed on her lips. "I''m content as long as I have a small ce in his heart." "Tsk, and here I thought you might have some problems with him courting other girls." Huo Rong shook her head as she leaned back on the chair. "What about you? You seemed quite against it," Bing Rong curiously asked. "Nah, I''m fine with it as long as he doesn''t forget me. After all, he needs a bigger harem to sustain his cultivation base, and we might not be able to satisfy him once his cultivation base catches up with us," Huo Rong said as she had already considered this situation. Bing Rong thought about it, and it seemed to make sense to her as well. "What you say is true; the only reason we can keep up with him is due to our high cultivation base, but once he reaches our level, we might not be able to satisfy him alone." Huo Rong nodded her head. "Well, we will see what will happen in the future. For now, I think our disciples might be after him hehe." Bing Rong felt her eye twitching. "Our situation is rather simr; aren''t we also disciples of Master? And she is now in the harem hehe." "Now that you mention it, she shoulde out within this week," Huo Rong said as she remembered their master. Bing Rong nodded. "Shen Yuan will be quite happy about it as well." Huo Rong lewdly smiled. "Heh, they will go wild in the night, I''m sure." "Huo Rong! Don''t speak so crass of our master," Bing Rong said as her face burned from embarrassment. "What? Did I lie?" Huo Rong innocently asked. Bing Rong just shook her head and decided to change the topic. "Anyways, how many women are around Shen Yuan now? We should look into their backgrounds beforehand." "That''s true, hmm let me think," Huo Rong grabbed her chin as she began thinking. "Han Qingyu¡ªwell, she is basically confirmed to be in the harem, just need Master toe out so he can ask about it with us. That leaves our disciples." Bing Rong raised an eyebrow. "Did he let them be our disciples to gather his entire harem inside the family beforehand?" Huo Rong chuckled. "Nah nah wait, I''m sure not all of our disciples should be on the list. Chen Yue, Ling Mei, Wan Ling, and Zhao Lian. Chen Yue and Wan Ling seem to be more likely candidates for now." "We can''t underestimate Ling Mei as well," Bing Rong said seriously. Huo Rong agreed. "True, let''s do a background check on all of them." They continued talking as they soon got up and left to go look for Elder Luo Yan for help. ... "Haah... finally done with this High Grade Tier 1 Sword," Shen Yuan stretched as he looked at the box filled with nearly a dozen swords. [It turned out quite nicely; it''s an exceptional sword even among other swords of simr rank,] Yue Lan said in admiration. "Now I should rest; it''s not good to work all the time," he said as he walked out and saw the moon illuminating the dark sky. He appreciated the view for a moment before walking towards the Cherry Blossom Tree. [You might take the entire day tomorrow to just forge a Peak Grade Tier 1 Sword; you need to improve your cksmithing Skills.] Shen Yuan nodded as he went towards the chair and sat down beneath the Cherry Blossom Tree and looked at the sky. "That is true, I''m not improving fast enough." [You are still improving faster than the absolute vast majority of aspiring cksmiths who take years to decades just to master creating a Tier 1 Treasure,] she consoled him as she didn''t want to demotivate him. "And why should Ipare myself to those mediocre people? With my innate gifts alone, I should have been able to create Tier 3 treasure at least, but I have too many restrictions ced on me," he said with an absolute tone as he was at least confident in his bloodline if nothing else. Yue Lan got silent as she didn''t expect him to look at himself so strictly. For a moment, she didn''t know what to say. Shen Yuan also closed his eyes to rest, but what they both missed was the small runes forming on his chest as his bloodline stirred deep in his core; it seemed to bubble with excitement as Shen Yuan finally started to see himself for what he is truly worth. He felt his mind bing heavy as he fell asleep. [Hmm? He fell asleep? This is abnormal,] Yue Lan thought as she tried to look through his body but couldn''t find anything amiss as the bloodline was masking the entire situation. ... "Shen¡­" "...Yuan" Faint voices echoed in the void, distant yet hauntingly familiar. He tried to hear, but the words remained fractured like shards of ss. "He''s¡­ing¡­" The fragments of sound were drowned by a low, guttural hum that reverberated through the void. "Move... fast..." The broken voices faded, reced by a deafening silence that pressed against him like the weight of countless stars. Finally, after what felt like an eternity had passed, his eyes snapped open. The world before him was a bleak, infinite void. The sky¡ªor what remained of it¡ªwas fractured, colossal rifts tearing across the entire cosmos with swirling chaos. Shards of what seemed like entire great nes hovered in the distance, glimmering with unnatural colors that pulsed like dying stars. Worlds, broken and lifeless, floated amidst the rivers of fate, their surfaces scarred with ruins of civilizations. Darkness seeped like ink from the gaping fissures in reality, forming immense ck spheres that loomed ominously, pulsating with an eerie, malevolent light. From them, tendrils of void-like substance cascaded downward, infecting the very source of all things: the Ultimate Origin Source. Shen Yuan stood amidst the devastation, a jagged, blood-streaked sword clutched in his trembling hand. The broken de pulsed with an otherworldly power capable of bringing devastation even upon the Great Dao, seeming to convey the long, arduous battle it had fought with its master. Two words remained engraved on its handle: ''Crimson Devourer''. His body was broken¡ªnearly half of it seemed to be missing. His left arm was gone, his torso shredded, and yet he remained standing, looking at everything with anger so extreme it seemed to distort the Chaos. From the distance, a monstrous roar tore through the chaos, primal and suffocating. "DIIIIEEEE!!!" Chapter 230: Awake The sound carried with it an overwhelming sense of doom, a deration of absolute dominance as the entire Chaos stirred. Shen Yuan turned his gaze forward, his breath shallow andbored. A towering behemoth emerged from the abyss, its form defying logic. Its mere presence warped the Chaos, twisting it into an iprehensible nightmare. Shen Yuan raised his broken de, his legs barely holding him straight. Blood poured from his wounds, soaking the shattered void beneath him. His voice cracked as he roared defiantly, even as the beast lunged. The world shattered. "Haah... haah..." Shen Yuan jolted awake, his body drenched in cold sweat. "Wh-what... was that..." he muttered, his voice hoarse and ragged. [Are you alright?] Yue Lan''s worried voice echoed in his mind. He slowly raised his head as his eyes seemed to fill with endless darkness, but it receded before long. Shen Yuan took a few deep breaths as the dream yed in his mind; after calming down a little, he replied to Yue Lan. "A dream... a bad one." He didn''t say more as he himself needed some time to process his feelings. [...Are you sure it was only a dream? It shouldn''t affect a cultivator of your level this much if it was merely a dream.] Shen Yuan fell silent as his heart still pounded with indescribable emotions when he thought about the dream. He slowly shook his head, "...I''m not sure." [You should go out and get some fresh air for now, you also need some time to process your thoughts.] She slowly said as she saw sweat still forming on his head. Shen Yuan stood up from the chair as he nodded his head in agreement. "Good idea." He walked outside of his mansion and breathed in deeply. The Qi-infused air of the mountains filled his lungs as he exhaled a long sigh. But something felt off, but he wasn''t able to put his mind on what it was. ''What was that dream?'' He thought to himself while mindlessly walking. ''I''m sure I have never seen that ce, not even during the many lives of mine inside the Dao Heart Trial.'' ''It was something different, something ominous, at a much grander scale than this little Deste Continent.'' He frowned his brows while thinking to himself. ... "Ah, Senior Brother Shen Yuan!" A voice echoed from the distance, but Shen Yuan didn''t hear it as he was lost in his own thoughts. "Senior Brother!" The voice sounded again but from much closer. Shen Yuan raised his head as he got distracted from his thoughts. "Senior Brother Shen Yuan, why are you walking around aimlessly?" The voice came from his side as he turned his head around to see Wan Ling standing there. "Oh, Wan Ling, long time no see." He finally smiled as it had been quite a few days since they hadst met. "I was just wandering around. And how has it been since you got promoted to the Inner Sect?" Wan Ling came closer and smiled sweetly at him, "I came to the Inner Sect just yesterday. I didn''t expect for us to meet so soon after I came here." Shen Yuan exhaled a sigh and smiled, "You could have juste to find me, not like it would be hard to find the only male disciple here." Wan Ling softly giggled as they both began slowly walking forward. "So, you broke through to the Inner Sea Realm?" Shen Yuan curiously asked as he felt the fluctuations of the Qi around her. Wan Ling happily smiled, "Yes, though I have only liquefied 1% of my Qi until now." Shen Yuan nodded his head, "That''s already good enough, you can use some pills to have your foundation stabilized and then try to break through into further realms." ''System Screen,'' he softly said as he remembered his own progress, which he had no idea how much it had reached. [...Howzy are you? You could have just felt your own Qi level.] ''Meh.'' [Cultivation Base: Inner Sea Realm (99%)] Shen Yuan''s eyes slightly widened in surprise as he saw the process nearingpletion. ''How? Wasn''t it around 30-35% yesterday??'' [...I do not know as well, I didn''t keep track of it, but it hadn''t crossed 35% before you fell asleep.] Her voice turned suspicious as she asked, [Tell me honestly, what was that dream?] Shen Yuan fell silent just as he was about to reply to her, Wan Ling spoke up, "Senior Brother? What happened? You fell into a trance all of a sudden." He looked at her for a second before shaking his head with a smile, "Nothing, let''s go to my mansion, I want to show something to you." Wan Ling softly nodded her head before she began following Shen Yuan towards his courtyard. ''We will talkter,'' Shen Yuan addressed Yue Lan. [Hmm...] Yue Lan softly hummed in acknowledgement. ... Shen Yuan soon returned to his mansion with Wan Ling in tow. The first thing she saw after entering the mansion was the massive Cherry Tree in the middle of the garden. "Wahh, you got another Cherry Blossom Tree, Senior Brother!" Wan Ling said in surprise. "Hmm? I heard everyone gets a type of tree in their courtyard, I was just lucky to get a cherry tree again aftering to the Inner Sect." He lightly said before walking towards the tree. Wan Ling followed after him, "But isn''t your Fate with Cherry Blossom a bit too strong? I have not heard of a disciple getting the same type of tree in both the Outer Sect and the Inner Sect due to the vast variety of trees and nts our sect has." Shen Yuan shook his head with a soft chuckle, "Anyways, sit down and have some tea." He said as he took out two chairs from his storage ring and ced them beneath the cherry tree before taking out a table and tea set. Wan Ling eagerly sat down in her chair as she giggled, "The tea made by Senior Brother might make me achieve Immortality." Shen Yuanughed, "Don''t be silly now," he took out some tea leaves and began heating up the water with his Fire Intent. Wan Ling looked at him using his Fire Intent but mistook it for a tea-making technique due to his high mastery of Fire. "Wow, you are really professional, Senior Brother, you even learned a Tea Making Fire Art." Shen Yuan raised his head and looked at her as if he was looking at an idiot, he chuckled, "I need to be professional if I want to serve my guest." Wan Ling chuckled hearing his humorous tone. He soon finished making tea and poured it into two cups. She picked up her cup and softly blew on it before taking a small sip. As soon as the tea hit her tongue, she closed her eyes as the taste made her fall into a trance. Qi began gathering around her as her foundation began stabilizing. Shen Yuan smiled seeing her stabilizing her foundation, he also blew on his tea and took a sip. But nothing happened to him as his foundation had long surpassed what little improvements this tea could bring him. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 231: Honey So he simply enjoyed his tea while looking at the moving clouds in the sky as the cherry blossoms slowly fell to the ground. The warm breeze made the atmosphere serene as his thoughts drifted back to his dream. ''What was it? I don''t think it was merely a dream, but I don''t have any recollection of it as well. And my cultivation...'' There were far too many questions with little to no answers to them. [Do you mind telling me what is happening now? Maybe I can help you with it.] ''...I suspect it''s rted to my bloodline.'' [Ok then I can''t help you.] Shen Yuan felt his eyebrow twitching. ''Useless.'' [Your bloodline is already something that I have never seen, how do you suppose I deal with it? It already made m-] Yue Lan abruptly stopped as she felt a malevolent presence forming inside Shen Yuan''s sea of consciousness. ''Hmm? What did my bloodline do?'' Yue Lan quickly took back her words, not wanting to face that abomination anytime soon. [...Your bloodline already made you so strong, what can I even do about it.] Shen Yuan nodded his head, ''True, I need to find out more about this bloodline, so far it has the ability to devour others'' talent and refine them before giving them to me, but I have not been able to gain any bloodline till now.'' [Why don''t you try to devour someone with a bloodline next time to see what reaction your bloodline will have?] Shen Yuan finished tea and ced the cup on the table before rubbing his chin softly, ''That''s doable, I can try and see what reaction my bloodline will have at that point.'' [Why don''t you name your bloodline something? We can''t keep referring to it as your bloodline or other things.] ''That''s a good idea, why don''t you suggest a name.'' Shen Yuan agreed with her and said. [Haha, you asked the right person why don''t you use¡ª] Yue Lan stopped talking as she felt her eye twitching, the presence of that abomination seemed to be getting strong again. [But I can''t possibly do that, it''s your bloodline so you should name it. It wouldn''t be right of me to name it.] Shen Yuan''s voice turned suspicious, he asked, ''Why are you changing your tune so much? Are you hiding something from me?'' [No, anyways do you have a name in mind?] ''Hmm let''s see, since it has devouring ability and it can grant me the unique abilities of those it devoured, why don''t I name it Heaven Defying God Suppressing Chaos Devouring Primal Bloodline?'' Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up as he suggested the name. Yue Lan felt her eyes twitching, [Why don''t you add a few more sentences to that name, huh?] "Hmm? Those were the usual names of strong bloodlines in my past life, well now that you say it, it''s indeed a mouthful. Let''s go with Devouring Fiend Celestial Bloodline. Sounds cool as well as highlights its devouring capabilities." He finished saying as he waited for her to speak. Yue Lan silently muttered to herself, ''It really is a fiendish bloodline, hmph!'' [Yes, it''s a fitting name definitely.] Shen Yuan nodded his head proudly, "My naming sense is just peak." [Yes yes, sure.] Yue Lan changed the topic as shemented, [Looks like chatting with Wan Ling has lightened your mood. Before this, you were all gloomy due to your dream.] Shen Yuan nodded, ''True, I was focusing too much on my dream before this. Now that my mind has been cleared up, I should go and look at my smithy.'' The Qi around Wan Ling also began to subside as she slowly opened her eyes. Shen Yuan turned his head to see her; her foundation had already stabilized, and she could start increasing her cultivation base anytime now. "Thank you for this tea, Senior Brother." She stood up and bowed in thanks to him. Shen Yuan epted the bow with a smile, "Sit down now, you don''t need to be so polite with me." Wan Ling sat down, "What was that tea? I have never tasted anything like that." Shen Yuan looked at her in amusement, "Have you not tasted the honey that we bought from the Mystique Realm?" "Ah, that..." Wan Ling''s face turned slightly red in embarrassment, "I don''t have a special physique or anything, so I was thinking of giving it to my little sister to strengthen her constitution in the future." Shen Yuan looked at her with warm eyes, "So you have a sister as well, but I remember I gave you multiple portions of that; you could have at least used one of them." Wan Ling lowered her head further, "I was going to give the honey to my n when I went back." Shen Yuan exhaled a long sigh, took out two portions of honey-filled cups from his inventory and gave one to her, "Here, taste it. Let me know how it is." Wan Ling raised her head as she smelled the delicious aroma spreading all around her; she salivated a little as her nose tingled with sweetness. "Bu-but it''s yours, how can I take something so precious?" She hurriedly shook her head and refused. Shen Yuan pushed the honey-filled cup into her hands and spoke with augh, "No need to worry, I have a lot of it, and I will have more of it in the future." Wan Ling looked at the honey in her hands with struggling eyes; she couldn''t make up her mind whether to eat it or not. Shen Yuan looked at her with gentle eyes and ced a hand on her head and softly patted her, "Go ahead and eat it. No need to overthink something so simple." Wan Ling let go of her struggle and softly nodded her head; she took out a spoon from her spatial ring and scooped a bit of honey from her cup. Shen Yuan nodded his head with a smile and raised his cup before directly drinking the honey from it. [How crass.] ''Does she have any special physique or bloodline?'' Shen Yuan ignored her remark and asked. [None. She has neither bloodline nor physique, but her talent in the sword is really strong. She is nearing First Level Sword Intent already. She will probablyprehend it as soon as she reaches the Origin Core Creation Realm.] ''Oh, not bad at all. Maybe I should give her some pointers in the way of the sword,'' he thought. [Sure, that will be good, but isn''t it better if Huo Rong or Bing Rong trained their disciples?] ''There was a reason I had them ept these guys as their disciples; I already have ns for them.'' [If you say so.] Yue Lan got silent after that. Wan Ling soon finished eating her share of the honey as she looked at Shen Yuan in confusion. "That... was underwhelming, nothing happened to me?" She tilted her head in confusion. Shen Yuan stood up and exined, "That''s because you don''t have a bloodline or physique for it to focus on; it will instead strengthen your constitution over time and help to strengthen your Dao Foundation." Chapter 232: Tier 2 Sword Wan Ling nodded her head in understanding, "Thanks for your honey, Senior Brother." Shen Yuan looked at her in amusement andughed, "It sounds way too wrong when you say it like that." Wan Ling tilted her head cutely in confusion. [You pervert, don''t infect pure little Wan Ling with your dirty brain.] Shen Yuan shook his head and ignored Yue Lan. "Come with me, I wanted to show you something." He turned around and walked towards his smithy. Wan Ling followed after him in confusion, wondering what he meant before. ''I will ask Sister Ling Meiter,'' she made up her mind and hurried her steps. Shen Yuan soon reached the gates of the side building and pushed them open and entered inside. Wan Ling slowly entered the dark building, which soon lit up as Shen Yuan opened the windows. "Wow, is this a smithy, Senior Brother? Who is working here?" she asked in wonder as she looked at all the tools neatly arranged beside the forge. Shen Yuan smiled with pride and replied, "It''s my smithy. I''m also a cksmith;e see my work." Wan Ling looked around to appreciate the view as Shen Yuan approached the weapon box. "Here, see this." Shen Yuan took out one of the swords from the box and handed it to Wan Ling, who was curiously looking at the sword. She picked it up and checked the bnce of the sword. "The bnce is really great on this sword." "See this other one..." ... "So, Senior Brother Shen Yuan, do you want to be a Master cksmith? Why the sudden interest?" Wan Ling asked as she finished looking at all the swords. "That should have been obvious when I took the inheritance from the Mystique Realm, no?" Shen Yuan smiled and answered as they both sat at the table outside. "Is there anything I can do to help you?" Wan Ling asked. "As a matter of fact, there is indeed something that I want you to do for me." Shen Yuan seriously nodded his head and sat up straight. Wan Ling faced him seriously and said, "I will do anything you ask of me." Shen Yuan nodded his head and took out a few banners and posters from his storage ring. "Help me to distribute these. In five days, I will open up my shop where the weapons forged by me will be disyed. Those who are interested cane and take a look." ''That would be thest day of the time limit I got for the mission. I can probably finish it with my weapons.'' [It would be funny if you couldn''t find 2 Sect Elders for the mission on thest day.] ''I have a n for that already, no need to remind me.'' Shen Yuan smiled to himself and said back. Wan Ling ced the banners and posters in her storage ring and nodded her head seriously. "I will take care of it." "Oh, and you can ask for help from the others¡ªChen Yue, Ling Mei, and Zhao Lian. See if they want to help or not," Shen Yuan said again as he just remembered them. Wan Ling nodded her head, "Is there anything else now, Senior Brother?" Shen Yuan gently shook his head, "There is nothing more for now," he stood up from his seat and continued saying, "I should also head back and begin forging new weapons." Wan Ling stood up and bowed, "Thanks for the tea and honey, Senior Brother. I will be off now." Shen Yuan smiled and nodded as he saw her leaving. Turning around, he headed towards the smithy as well. ... Shen Yuan stood in the smithy as he wondered what to make next when Yue Lan''s voice echoed in his head. [Why don''t you take out one of your weapons as a reference and try to recreate it? You would need to upgrade them in due time as well if you don''t want to rece it.] "Hmm, what you say does make sense; let me try it with my sword," he said before taking out his sword. His eyes froze as he saw the sword in his grasp. "Crimson Devourer..." he softly muttered as he remembered the sword from his dreams. ''What is the connection between this sword and that one in my dream?'' He questioned to himself while gazing at Crimson Devourer. The sword hummed softly as if curious about what Shen Yuan was thinking. He came out of his thoughts and gently shook his head before focusing on the details of the sword. "I didn''t realize, but you are already at the Peak of Tier 3. No wonder you are such a good weapon," he praised as he remembered that the sword was only a Tier 2 weapon when he first held it. [Further improvement would be nearly impossible for the sword as the materials used to build it are restricting it too much. You''d better raise your cksmith skills faster and use higher quality materials to reforge the sword,] Yue Lan exined the situation of the sword lightly. Shen Yuan nodded his head as he knew Crimson Devourer was far too important for him to just stop using it. He set the sword aside and began heating the Profound Mountain Ore; it was a higher-tier ore than Spirit Iron and is used to forge Tier 2 weapons mostly. After some time, Shen Yuan''s brows furrowed as he realized that the ore hadn''t melted at all. He tried to think of a reason before realizing he hadn''t changed the temperature of the mes at all. "Ah shit, I forgot to change the temperature; of course, it won''t melt at the temperature Tier 1 ores melt at." He shook his head and threw in more me Crystals before using his Fire Intent to increase the intensity of the mes. The ore began melting at a visible rate as he hurriedly decreased the intensity of his Fire Intent before eventually finding the perfect temperature to melt the ore. "Phew, this should do it," he silently muttered to himself as he nced at Crimson Devourer from time to time. After heating up the ore until it was bright yellow, he took it out and ced it on the anvil before hammering it down. His posture remained perfect as he used the knowledge gained from the cksmith Manual to hammer down the ore. After ttening it, he folded the ore and continued hammering it. He did it multiple times until he was sure of the quality of the sword. Then he started to make the edge of the sword. ... Afterpleting the sword, he quenched it with water. The water boiled up as the temperature of the sword reached insane heights. He took out the sword after thoroughly quenching it as his eyesnded on a a beautiful white sword with ck carvings simr to a thunder striking down. He looked at the sword for a moment, appreciating the art that he had created before testing its bnce. "Hmm, the bnce is good, but why is it a light sword again? Well, anyways, it''s better for the female disciples of the sect anyway," he thought before putting the sword away. [That''s already good; you were able to make a Low Grade Tier 2 sword on your first try.] Chapter 233: Opening the Gates "Now that you mention it, it''s strange; I feel like I can understand the properties of the ores and metals more thoroughly now, as well as I have a clearer sense of how and where to hit the ore to get the best result," Shen Yuan said as he thought about what had changed sincest night. He then remembered his dream, ''Don''t tell me something happened to my cksmith talent as well due to that dream.'' After thinking for a while, he still couldn''t make sense of the situation as he settled his thoughts and decided to focus on his cksmithing. "Well, let''s try and see if my cksmith talent has increased or not." He moved back towards the forge. [Ding!] [High-Level cksmith Talent Detected.] [Analyzing its grade.] [...] [...] [Ding!] [Analysis Completed!] [High Grade King Tier cksmith Talent detected.] "Huh? What? How did I suddenly gain cksmith talent?" Shen Yuan asked in confusion. [...You didn''t, that''s the thing. I just ran a check on you because your talent seemed to have improved overnight, and I''m not sure what the reason is as well. I only ran the check on you now.] Shen Yuan stood rooted on his spot as countless thoughts swirled in his mind, ''Am I screwed? How did I get involved in this? I''m sure that dream was not only a dream but possibly a vision of the future.'' He continued to think as he realized he had been pulled into something far beyond his current abilities. He knew his fate would be in danger if he didn''t try to do something fast. ''...Well, can''t really do much with my current abilities, let''s just go and test my new talent for now.'' He shook his head and thought. Yue Lan also didn''t ask as she realized it might be rted to his bloodline. ''Hehe, looks like the bloodline came with its own luggage,'' she thought to herself as she wanted to see how Shen Yuan would take care of himself in this. Shen Yuan took out a muchrger piece of Profound Mountain Ore and began heating it up. ... "Haah, I finally managed to make a High Grade Tier 3 Spear," Shen Yuan said as the time was nearing its end for the mission since he had been practicing with his new talent. [You really managed to nearlyplete the mission; now it depends on whether the disciples will buy your weapons or not.] "Well, Wan Ling should have done enough advertisement by now. I can just decorate the weapons in my garden for now and invite all those who are interested inside," Shen Yuan said as he wiped the sweat from his brow before putting the spear in a separate box filled with different kinds of spears in all colors. [Why not rent a shop in the Market District?] "Why would I do that when I can invite those cuties into my mansion?" Shen Yuan yfully smirked and put all the weapons in his storage ring before heading out. [...] Yue Lan remained speechless at his shamelessness as he began taking out racks of weapons and ced them all over the garden before taking out pages and began writing down the prices. "Good thing I asked Wan Ling for the average prices of weapons in the market; I can just use them for now," he said as he wrote prices one by one before cing them below the weapon. [Why not cheaper? You can attract more disciples that way.] "It will affect the image of my creations then; people will consider it inferior quality product if they saw the prices lower than what they get in the markets," he exined as he was far too familiar with the market tactics from his past life. [Hmm... then what about increasing the prices? You would seem like a premium cksmith that way.] "I''m not at that level yet. Even with my talent, I need months of practice before I can call myself a master cksmith. Even the talented ones take decades to be called a master cksmith," he continued writing down prices at all the different weapons. [Hmm... well, do whatever you like.] Shen Yuan chuckled and continued doing his work. ¡­ "Now, all I need to do is to wait for the Inner Sect disciples toe in and try out these weapons." [You made like 12 Tier 3 weapons; I''m sure you can at least sell three of them toplete the mission.] "I''m sure I canplete the mission as well, but I''m more interested in knowing how the sect will react due to my cksmith talent, as from what I have seen the sect doesn''t have a decent cksmith," Shen Yuan rubbed his chin and thought while sitting on his chair. [Well, they invite cksmiths from other sects to forge personalized weapons, so I''m sure they will be more than happy to have you as their personal cksmith.] "Like hell, I will be their personal cksmith. I have more things to do; the only people I will forge weapons for are my family, or if I''m in an excellent mood to help those poor disciples." Shen Yuan shook his head as he had no ns to be the private cksmith of the sect. [You need to focus on your alchemy as well; I think your alchemy talent increased as well together with your cksmith talent.] Shen Yuan nodded his head, and just as he was about to reply to the system, he heard faint voicesing from outside his mansion. One of the disciples spoke to her friend, "Do you think his weapons will be good?" Her friend shrugged, "I guess so; even elders praised his cultivation talent highly." Another disciple chimed in, "Having cultivation talent doesn''t make you an exceptional cksmith." "Yeah, he might have made scrap and is trying to scam us with it," someone else grumbled. "Now now," a senior disciple admonished, "don''t be so harsh with your words. I''m sure he will make at least decent enough weapons since he invited us." "True, true, if nothing else it will be a show worth watching," another agreed. "But how long will he take to open the gates?" a discipleined. "Well, there was no time mentioned in the poster; we might havee early from his prepared time," someone reasoned. "Can''t really do anything about it then," another shrugged. A lot of disciples gathered outside Shen Yuan''s mansion as they waited for him to open the gates. Shen Yuan smiled lightly as he heard the disciples outside discussing his cksmith abilities. [They will probably be shocked to see your talent, haha.] "Hmm, Wan Ling and the others should be outside as well, they can help me to manage the disciples who will soon being in as well." He rubbed his chin as he thought while going towards the gate of he mansion. [You are already thinking of putting those poor girls to work, what bad Senior Brother they have gotten.] Shen Yuan felt his eye twitching, "Dont make me sound like some bad guy, I will make a custom weapon for each of them as a token of thanks after that." [Oh then its all good.] Chapter 234: Selling Weapons Shen Yuan approached the gate of his mansion and opened it slightly, ncing amidst the crowd to spot Wan Ling, Chen Yue, Ling Mei, and Zhao Lian. He waved his hand towards them in an inviting gesture with a smile. "Senior Brother Shen Yuan!" Wan Ling called out, her face lighting up as she saw him. "d you all could make it," Shen Yuan said warmly. "Come inside first; I might need a little help here." The four young women exchanged curious nces but eagerly made their way through the crowd to join him. As they slipped inside, murmurs rose amidst the other disciples waiting outside. "Why are they allowed in first?" "Maybe they''re helping him set up?" Shen Yuan closed the gate momentarily and led the girls toward the garden where the weapons were disyed. The area was neatly arranged with racks showcasing swords, spears, daggers, and other weapons, each tagged with a price. Chen Yue''s eyes widened. "Senior Brother, did you make all of these?" Shen Yuan nodded humbly. "I''ve been practicing my cksmithing skills." Ling Mei picked up a slender sword, testing its bnce. "This is impressive craftsmanship. I didn''t know you were skilled in forging weapons." "There''s a lot you don''t know about me," Shen Yuan replied with a yful smirk. Zhao Lian examined a spear iid with intricate designs. "These are high-quality weapons even by market standards. The Inner Sect''s disciples will be thrilled." "I''m d you think so," Shen Yuan said. "I was hoping you could help me manage the disciples as theye in. Answer their questions, help them find what they''re looking for." Wan Ling beamed. "Of course! We''re happy to help." "And as a thank you," Shen Yuan added, "I''d like to make custom weapons for each of you." Their faces lit up with excitement. "Really?" Chen Yue asked. "Absolutely," Shen Yuan confirmed. "Consider it a token of my appreciation. Though you can ask for the weaponter as well since the Sect has rewarded you with a chance to have the cksmith forge your weapons; his skills should be greater than my current skills." "Thank you, Senior Brother," Zhao Lian said softly. "Alright, let''s get started," Shen Yuan said, heading back toward the gate. He pulled it open wide, revealing the eager crowd outside. "Wee, everyone!" he announced. "Pleasee in and take a look at the weapons I''ve crafted for you all." The disciples began to file in, eyes wandering over the beautifully arranged garden and the gleaming weapons. One of the disciples nudged her friend. "See, told you it was worthing here." Her friend shrugged. "We''ll see about that." As the crowd dispersed among the disys, the four girls moved smoothly between them, offering assistance. A group of Inner Sect disciples, dressed in finer robes, approached a rack of swords. One of them, a tall girl with sharp green eyes, picked up a Tier 1 sword and scoffed, "Tier? I expected better from the Genius Shen Yuan." Herpanion smirked. "Perhaps he''s only capable of beginner-level work." Wan Ling overheard them and approached with a polite smile. "If you''re looking for higher-tier weapons, we have some excellent Tier 2 and Tier 3 items over here." The tall girl raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Lead the way." Wan Ling guided them to a disy of Tier 3 weapons. The girls'' expressions changed as they examined the finely crafted swords closely. "This is... quite good," the tall girl admitted, testing the weight of a sword. "The bnce of this sword is also very good." Herpanion nodded, tracing the intricate patterns on a spear. "I can feel the Qi flowing smoothly through it." Nearby, a high-ranking Inner Sect disciple named Liu Ying was examining a pair of daggers. She was known for her discerning taste; she rarely found weapons that met her standards in the sect market. Ling Mei approached her cautiously. "Senior Sister Liu, can I assist you with anything?" Liu Ying nced at her before returning her gaze to the daggers. "Who made these?" "Senior Brother Shen Yuan crafted all the weapons here," Ling Mei replied. "Interesting," Liu Ying murmured. "These daggers are finely bnced and the craftsmanship is superb. Even the intricate design of the daggers helps to smooth out the flow of the Qi." She looked across the garden to where Shen Yuan was helping another disciple. "I didn''t expect such quality from an Inner Disciple," she said. Meanwhile, some disciples couldn''t help but make disdainful remarks. "Look at this," a girl sneered, holding up a Tier 1 sword. "I wouldn''t use this to cut vegetables." Her friend giggled. "Maybe he''s still learning." Chen Yue approached them with a calm smile. "That sword is designed for beginners or Outer Sect Disciples focusing on foundational skills. Perhaps you would be interested in something more suitable to your level?" The girls exchanged nces. "Fine, show us what else you have." As Chen Yue led them away, Shen Yuan walked over to where a group of disciples were admiring a Tier 3 spear. "Is there anything I can help you with?" he asked with a soft smile. One of the disciples looked up. "Did you really make this? The craftsmanship is on a higher level than what the cksmiths in the sect market make." Shen Yuan chuckled. "I did. I''m d you appreciate it." Another disciple hesitated before asking, "Are you takingmissions? I''d love a custom weapon." "No, not for the time being," Shen Yuan replied. "I will begin taking inmissions once my skills have been improved to an appropriate level. You can thenmission a weapon." The disciple felt disappointed at his reply but thanked him nheless. "Thank you, Senior Brother!" ... As the afternoon wore on, more and more disciples expressed interest in his work. Even those who had been skeptical were won over by the quality of the higher-tier weapons that he had crafted in under a week. "He''s got real talent for cksmithing," a senior disciple remarked to her friend. "I heard he only started cksmithing recently," the friend replied. "Unbelievable." Zhao Lian found herself surrounded by disciples asking questions about the weapons. "What''s this de made of?" "How did he achieve this finish?" "Will he make more weapons?" She answered as best she could, her confidence growing with each interaction. Wan Ling caught Shen Yuan''s eye and gave him a thumbs-up. He smiled back, pleased with how things were going. ''Hmm, now should I call Big Sisters to invite a few Inner Sect Elders here?'' he thought to himself as his weapons were as good as sold with so many Inner Sect disciples showing interest in them. All he needed was for two Inner Sect Elders toe and look at his work. At one point, an Elder who got wind of the news about Shen Yuan''s cksmithing curiously came into his mansion. "What''s all this?" she asked. Ling Mei bowed respectfully. "Elder Hua, Senior Brother Shen Yuan is showcasing the weapons he''s crafted." Elder Hua picked up a sword, her eyes sparkling as she examined it. "This is impressive work for someone so young." She approached Shen Yuan. "You have quite the talent, young man." Chapter 235: Rewards Shen Yuan lightly bowed. "Thank you, Elder Hua. Your praise honors me." ''Good, now I just need one more Inner Sect Elder and the mission will bepleted,'' he thought to himself with a smirk. "Have you considered joining the Artifact Hall? It would be a waste of your talent if you didn''t join in," she asked. Shen Yuan showed visible hesitation but soon replied. "I appreciate the offer, but I have manymitments at the moment." ''Like hell I will join that sinking ship, it would be better to open my own Refining Hall at that point so I won''t be below anyone,'' he inwardly shook his head as he remarked at the situation of the Refining Hall. "Understandable," she said with a nod. "But do consider it. The Sect could benefit greatly from your skills. After all, there are not many cksmiths in our Sect." "I will, Elder," Shen Yuan promised with a serious look on his face. As she moved on to see some of the other weapons, whispers spread among the disciples. "An elder noticed him!" "He''s really going ces." But before the whispers could even spread among the entire crowd, a voice rang from the door. "Oh my, is Little Brother Shen Yuan bing a cksmith?" A yful voice echoed from the gates with a hint of flirting in it. Shen Yuan turned his head to see Elder Lan Rui entering inside. "Ah, Elder Lan Rui, long time no see." Shen Yuan smiled as he weed her. "Good, good. You are really doing well in the Inner Sect, even bing a cksmith." She nodded her head and came in front of him. "Thank you for the praise, Elder Lan Rui." Shen Yuan modestly smiled. "Show me something good, let me appreciate what you have," Elder Lan Rui winked and suggestively said. Some of the disciples felt their faces burning as some others turned their heads in embarrassment. Shen Yuan coughed and said, "Yes, pleasee this way." He hurriedly turned around and led her to one of the swords disyed at the center of the garden. "What a beautiful sword," Lan Ruimented as she looked at the pure white sword put on disy in the center. It was a white long sword with little carvings of snow over the de and a phoenix carved on the handle. "This is the best sword I have crafted till now, it''s a High Tier 3 sword, it is suitable for those Cultivators who are proficient in Ice abilities," Shen Yuan slowly exined as Lan Rui listened. "Do you mind if I try it out a bit?" Lan Rui looked at Shen Yuan with fluttering eyes. Shen Yuan felt his lips twitching at her act, but he nodded his head as she was already quite familiar with him, "Yes, be my guest. Who knows, you might like it and buy it from me." "Hehe, we will need to see about that," Lan Rui softly giggled before moving forward to grab the sword and check its bnce. "The bnce is exceptional, the edge is finely sharp. Hmm, and its durability seems to be quite good as well." She raised her head and looked at Shen Yuan for a second, "I didn''t know you were such a good cksmith. Good, I want to buy this sword." Shen Yuan smiled proudly and nodded his head, "Let this one be a gift from my side, thanks for helping me and my Big Sisters when they were absent." Lan Rui looked at him in surprise, then smiled mischievously as she moved forward to stand in front of him, "Why did I never realize how handsome you are? You are really considerate to your seniors." She paused and leaned forward as she whispered softly in his ear, "No wonder the two of them fell for your charms." Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow as he didn''t expect her to know about it. He smirked and replied back, "Then be careful, or you might as well fall for my charms." Lan Rui smirked and walked back, "I will be taking this then, but as to thank you, you cane visit me anytime for ''any'' kind of help." Shen Yuan smilingly shook his head and moved towards other disciples to attend to them. By the end of the day, Shen Yuan had sold nearly all of his weapons, even the lower-level ones as the disciples said they wanted to buy them as collections. The four girls rejoined him as thest of the disciples departed after buying weapons from Shen Yuan''s mansion. "That was a huge sess," Chen Yue said, stretching her arms. "Thanks to all of you," Shen Yuan replied. "I couldn''t have managed without your help. I didn''t expect so many disciples would be joining us." "Don''t forget about our custom weapons," Zhao Lian reminded him with a grin. Shen Yuanughed. "Don''t worry about it, I will make them whenever you guys want." [Congrattions,] Yue Lan''s voice chimed in his mind. [You''ve exceeded the mission requirements.] ''Excellent,'' Shen Yuan thought. ''And I''ve made some valuable connections from all this hassle as well.'' As the sun began to set, the group settled under the cherry blossom tree, enjoying a moment of rxation with tea. "You know," Wan Ling began, "I think you''re going to be quite famous in the Sect." "Hmm? You think I wasn''t already famous in the Sect?" Shen Yuan chuckled. "But that doesn''t matter; fame isn''t my goal." "Then what is?" Ling Mei asked. He looked up at the blossoming tree. "To forge my own path and support those important to me." The girls exchanged nces, a mix of admiration and affection in their eyes. [Touching,] Yue Lan teased. [But don''t get too sentimental. You might seduce these young maidens'' hearts.] Shen Yuan smiled inwardly. ''Just sleep peacefully and leave me alone.'' As night fell, they each took their leave, thanking him once more. "Goodnight, Senior Brother," they said in unison. "Goodnight," he replied. "Rest well." As he stood alone beneath the cherry tree, Shen Yuan reflected on the day''s events. [You''ve made quite an impact,] Yue Lan noted. ''Yes, but this is just the beginning,'' he thought. ''I still need to get stronger, and...'' He got silent as he remembered his dream. [...] Yue Lan grew silent as she saw Shen Yuan lost in thought. [Are you thinking about your dream again?] she softly asked. "...Yes," Shen Yuan muttered softly as he went on his chair to sit down. Taking out a gourd of wine, he started drinking directly from it. [You don''t need to focus too much on your dream, whatever it was. If it was something in the past then it has already happened and there is no point thinking about it, or if it''s something for the future then let ite. We will face it together.] Shen Yuan stopped drinking the wine as he heard her words. He smiled fondly and nodded his head, "True, we shall face whateveres our way, no point brooding over it." [Good, thats the spirit, you need to move forward continuously, otherwise you will be buried in this world. Now why don''t you see your rewards?] Chapter 236: Sect Leader Summon "Hmm, sure. Show me my rewards." Shen Yuan nodded his head as the system screen manifested in front of him. [Ding!] [Quest Completed] [Due to Host''s exceptional performance, the rewards have been increased.] [Rewards: 1 - Second Section of the Primordial Vessel Cultivation Technique 2 - 200,000 Chaos Coins Additional Rewards: 1 - 100,000 Chaos Coins 2 - Thunder God Codex] Shen Yuan''s eyebrow arched up as he read the reward message, "Thunder God Codex?" He softly muttered under his breath, "What is this?" Yue Lan''s voice echoed in his mind. [The Thunder God Codex is a Sovereign Grade cultivation technique specializing in lightning attributes. It allows the cultivator to harness the power of thunder and lightning, enhancing speed, strength, and offensive capabilities. It''spatible with your current cultivation base and can be integrated with your Primordial Vessel Technique.] Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up with interest. "A lightning-based cultivation technique, huh? This can be quite useful to me. And this grade...." He pondered for a moment. "But I don''t have any lightning affinity. Will I be able to cultivate it?" [Your Devouring Fiend Celestial Bloodline allows you to devour various elemental affinities. By absorbing a lightning-elemental resource or essence, you can awaken a lightning affinity within yourself,] Yue Lan exined. He nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Perhaps it''s time to seek out a lightning-element treasure or beast. I just hope some unfortunate soul doesn''t deliver themselves to my door." Turning his attention back to the reward window in front of him, he smiled. "And the Second Section of the Primordial Vessel Cultivation Technique... With this, I can finally break through to the next realm." Shen Yuan felt excitement bubbling within him. With the second section of the Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art, he could advance to the next realm and use the Thunder God Codex to learn more abilities as well. "Yue Lan, please integrate the Thunder God Codex into my Sea of Consciousness. I''ll study it after I''m done with Primordial Vessel Cultivation Art." [Sure. The Thunder God Codex is quite a good technique for you; it also has a lot of thunder abilities, so you won''t have to find thunder martial arts as well,] she replied. He took a deep breath, "Time to make some ns." "There are about two weeks remaining in the sectpetition, huh," he thought, as he didn''t have much time for a breakthrough. As he was about to delve further into his thoughts to make some ns, a familiar presence approached his mansion. He curiously stood up from his chair and went to open the entrance gate. Only to see Han Qingyu standing at the entrance, her graceful figure illuminated by the soft glow of twilight. "Qingyu?" he called out. She offered a gentle smile. "I hope I''m not disturbing you." "Not at all," Shen Yuan replied, gesturing for her to join him under the cherry blossom tree. "Come, have a seat." She walked over and sat beside him. "I heard about your sessful weapon showcase. Congrattions. I didn''t know you became a cksmith, and quite a masterful one at that." "Thank you," he said calmly with a modest smile. "I couldn''t have done it without the help of Wan Ling and the others." Han Qingyu studied him for a moment. "No need to be humble. Your talent is undeniable; if your weapons weren''t so good they wouldn''t have caught the eyes of Inner Sect Elders." He chuckled lightly. "Perhaps. But there''s still much for me to learn." They sat infortable silence for a few moments, the petals from the cherry blossom tree drifting gently around them. After a while, Han Qingyu spoke again. "Brother Shen Yuan, the Sect Leader has requested your presence tomorrow morning." He raised an eyebrow. "The Sect Leader? Did she mention why?" She shook her head. "No specifics, but it''s likely rted to your cksmith abilities. Being the only male disciple and showing such prowess in both cultivation and cksmithing has certainly caught her attention." "I see, well not like I wasn''t already under her attention," he mused. "Thank you for informing me." She nodded. "I also wanted to ask if you''d like to train together sometime. I''ve been working on some new techniques; I can use your help to find out my mistakes as well." Shen Yuan smiled warmly. "Sure, I want to see how much you have improved as well. Your physique really boosted your cultivation by a lot." Her eyes softened. "Hehe, it''s all due to you. If you hadn''t invited me to join this sect, I would still be an outer disciple of Saber Mountain Sect, and my physique would have remained dormant." As the evening wore on, they shared stories and discussed cultivation philosophies. Their bond grew stronger as they spend more time together, each findingfort in the other''spany. Eventually, Han Qingyu stood up. "You should rest now. You will have a long day tomorrow." He rose as well and patted her head lightly. "Goodnight, Qingyu." "Goodnight, Brother Shen Yuan." After she left, Shen Yuan gazed up at the star-filled sky. "Meeting the Sect Leader, huh? I wonder what she wants." [It could be an opportunity,] Yue Lan suggested. [Perhaps she intends to offer you a position or resources. There are not many cksmiths in the sect after all; she might want to groom you as the head cksmith of the sect.] "Maybe," he agreed. "Either way, I need to be prepared. It won''t be easy to reject her." He decided to spend the rest of the night meditating, focusing on consolidating his cultivation and familiarizing himself with the new section of the Primordial Vessel Technique. ... The next morning, Shen Yuan donned his disciple robes and made his way to the Radiant Lotus Peak through various spatial portals. He soon reached the Sect Leader''s hall. The path was serene, lined with blooming lotus flowers and flowing streams that reflected the morning sun. Upon arriving, two Inner Sect disciples greeted him with respectful bows. "Senior Brother Shen Yuan, the Sect Leader is expecting you." He nodded and entered the grand hall. The interior was adorned with exquisite paintings and artifacts, exuding an aura of wisdom and authority. ''Oh? She changed theyout this time?'' he mused to himself while walking further in. At the far end sat Sect Leader Mei Hua, a woman of striking beauty and immense presence. Her light pink hair flowed like a river, and her pink eyes held immense knowledge yet slight yfulness. "Disciple Shen Yuan greets Sect Leader Mei," he said, bowing lightly to show his respect. "Rise," she said softly. "Come a little forward, why so shy all of a sudden." Shemented yfully. He shook his head and approached forward slowly but confidently. "Shen Yuan, oh Shen Yuan, you really continue to surprise me," she began, "First your rapid advancement in cultivation, and now your talent in cksmithing and I believe in alchemy as well are certainly remarkable." Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, "Alchemy? I have such a talent? Why do I not know myself?" Mei Hua giggled softly, "You have quite the sense of humor, but no need to pretend in front of me. I sensed the presence of herbs on your body the first time you came here; from the looks of it, you haven''t practiced alchemy in quite a while." Chapter 237: Shen Yuxin Shen Yuan gave up denying it and nodded his head, "Yes, I have been so busy with my cultivation that I hadn''t been able to learn alchemy." "Then why the sudden interest in cksmithing?" she curiously asked while ying with her hair. Shen Yuan looked at her enchanting hair for a second before answering, "Because I wanted to see how good I am in cksmithing, and from the looks of it, I''m far superior in cksmithing than alchemy." "Mm-hmm, I see, I see. So what ns do you have? Want the sect to support you in your alchemy and cksmith pursuits?" Mei Hua stepped down from her seat and came in front of Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan looked at her curiously, ''Wonder what happened to her, so yful this time.'' "Sure, why not? Since I will be helping the sectter anyway, might as well take the help of the sect now," he shrugged and replied. Mei Hua pped her hands, "Great, here you can have this." She threw a medallion at him, engraved with her name on it. "You can go to the Inner Sect''s treasury and take whatever herbs or ores you would like. You have unrestricted ess to it." Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, "Hoh? And what would I need to do in return for this stuff?" "Oh, nothing for now. We will ask you to make a few weapons when you reach a high enough level." Mei Hua waved her hands and dismissed as if this was not a huge thing. "Hmm... Well, I will take up your offer for now. Is there anything else you would like to discuss?" Shen Yuan put the medallion in his storage ring and asked. "No, nothing more for now. Just be prepared for the tournament which is about toe," she said lightly before turning around to head back to her seat, her pink hair gently slipping to her back as it released an enchanting fragrance. Shen Yuan took a deep breath before bowing lightly and taking his leave. ... He left the Sect Leader''s hall, pondering over the unexpected generosity of Sect Leader Mei Hua. The medallion she had given him granted unrestricted ess to the herbs and ores of the Inner Sect''s treasury¡ªa valuable resource for his professions if not his main cultivation. "Well, that went better than expected," he mused aloud. [Indeed,] Yue Lan chimed in. [With ess to rare herbs and ores, you can elerate your progress in both alchemy and cksmithing.] "Exactly. I should make a list of what I need." As he made his way back to his mansion, the serene beauty of the Radiant Lotus Sect''s surroundings calmed his mind. The scent of lotus blossoms filled the air, and the gentle rustling of leaves apanied his footsteps. Upon arriving at his residence, he noticed a subtle shift in the atmosphere. A familiar aura was emanating from within. "She''s back," he whispered, a hint of anticipation in his voice. He hurriedly entered his mansion and reached the main hall, and soon Shen Yuxin came out of his Cultivation Chambers. Her appearance had changed subtly, her aura was more dignified, and her eyes held a deeper rity. "Mother," Shen Yuan hurriedly walked forward and gave her a deep hug. "Wee back." Shen Yuxin smiled warmly and patted his back. "My dear son, it''s good to see you back again." He continued hugging her without saying another word; they spent some time together like that until Shen Yuan eventually let her go. "It''s really been too long," he said with a gentle tone. "Looks like you went through a lot," Shen Yuxin gently said. "Leave that forter, tell me how your seclusion went?" Shen Yuan asked as he brought her to the sitting room and they both sat down. She looked at him with affectionate eyes and answered, "The pill you provided was extraordinary. It not only purified my meridians but also enhanced my spiritual perception. Changing to the cultivation manual you gave me was a little problematic but I seeded. Your Primordial Yang helped a lot in it as well hehe." He nodded with a happy smile. "I''m d it was effective. You seem much more powerful now; I can''t even sense how strong you arepared to me." "Anyways, leave that forter, tell me more about what happened while I was in seclusion? Thest thing I remembered was when you left the mansion and went on to the sect on your own," she curiously asked while ncing around. "You realize it yet?" he teasingly asked, "Yes, this is the Inner Sect of Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect; I''ve already be an Inner Sect disciple here." "Whoa, how long has passed since I entered seclusion? I feel like it''s been decades or even centuries," Shen Yuxin asked in surprise. "Haha, it''s not been long, probably around three months," Shen Yuanughed and replied. Shen Yuxin looked at him in surprise, "You really aplished a lot in this time. Not only did you advance to be an Inner Sect disciple, you also reached the peak of Inner Sea Realm, only a step away from breaking through to the Origin Core Creation Realm." "Indeed, I was about to break through to the next realm, but the Sect Leader called in for me," Shen Yuan slowly exined. She rubbed her chin softly while thinking, "Hmm, I should meet up with old acquaintances soon as well since I''m back at the sect. Let''s see who dares to disturb you after that." Shen Yuan''s lips twitched as he grabbed her hand and gently said, "It''s not that the Sect Leader is disturbing me but more so she wanted to ask something from me, and I also got unrestricted ess to the Inner Sect Treasury for ores and herbs due to her." She paused and looked at him, hearing his exnation, "I see, so that''s what happened. That''s good to hear. But why do you need ores or herbs?" "Haaa..." Shen Yuan exhaled a long sigh as he gently tugged her hand and pulled her in for a hug. "Let me tell you what happened after you went into seclusion from the start." ... "I see, so many things happened in such a little time," Shen Yuxin muttered to herself as she finished listening to Shen Yuan. Shen Yuxin looked at Shen Yuan with a mix of adoration and curiosity, her soft gaze lingering on his face as she processed everything he had shared. "You''ve grown so much in such a short time, Yuan''er. It''s almost overwhelming. I knew you were talented, but seeing you aplish all this is truly remarkable." Shen Yuan chuckled lightly, his fingers brushing against hers as he held her hand. "This is just the start; there is so much we need to aplish together. And first on the list is to win thepetition that is about to be held in some time." "Do you want me to destroy that Iron whatever n, Yuan''er?" She raised her head from his embrace and asked with a sharp gaze. Shen Yuan sweated a little for the fate of the Ironwood Mountain n as he gently shook his head, "There is no need for you to take action, Mom. I already have ns to use them to boost my reputation further." He smirked as he thought about his ns for them. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 238: Sleep "Then I will leave that n to you." She softly nodded her head and ced it back on his chest as shey peacefully. Shen Yuan gently smiled and rubbed her back. "By the way, what is your position in this sect?" "I''m one of the Core Elders of this sect," she softly replied while her eyes remained closed in enjoyment. "Huh? I thought you were stronger. I can somewhat sense the cultivation base of the Sect Leader, but I feel nothing from you," he asked in confusion. "Hehe, I''m indeed much stronger than her. I''m a Core Elder for a different reason, and my status is not lower than the Ancestors of this sect. So you don''t need to worry about anything, and you can go wild," Shen Yuxin mischievously smiled. "I''m not doing anything weird," Shen Yuan shook his head with a chuckle. "Why is your Qi surging so much? Were you on the verge of a breakthrough?" she tilted her head and curiously asked while lying beside him. "Yes, I just got the next section of my cultivation technique afterpleting a quest. I was going to break through today, but..." He smiled while looking at her with zed eyes. Shen Yuxin yfully chuckled, "Looks like you already have excess Qi gathered in your Dantian, and any more will only increase your problems. Let''s sleep for now; we have been talking since afternoon, and it''s already nearing midnight. I have been missing you too much as well." Shen Yuan''s eyes softened as he nted a soft kiss on her forehead. "Good night." She smiled gently and closed her eyes, embracing him tightly. ''I wille to visit him some other day, hehe,'' she smirked evilly with her eyes closed. ... The sun rose as Shen Yuan''s eyes slowly fluttered open. He felt a moment of confusion when he didn''t sense Shen Yuxin''s presence beside him. Turning his head, he noticed a white letter intricately decorated with gold lines floating in front of his bed. Picking it up, he read: "I have to deal with some matters and meet up with Huo Rong and Bing Rong. I wille to visit you in some time. You should focus on your breakthrough as well." He gently shook his head at her considerate words. Folding the letter carefully, he ced it on the bedside table. "Always looking after me, huh," he mused with a soft smile. Thinking of all he could do in the morning, Shen Yuan dressed in simple robes and stepped outside. The green grass of the garden weed him, the warm rays of the morning sun hitting his face. The cherry blossom tree stood in the center, its petals drifting gently in the breeze. He walked over to the tree and sat beneath its canopy on the meditating mat. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, letting the crisp morning air fill his lungs. The subtle fragrance of cherry blossoms mingled with the fresh scent of dew-covered grass, calming his mind. "Time to advance to the Origin Core Creation Realm," he whispered to himself. He began circting the Second Section of the Primordial Vessel Cultivation Technique, guiding his Qi through his meridians with precision. The energy within him responded eagerly, flowing smoothly like a river returning to the sea. As he delved deeper into meditation, the world around him faded, leaving only the rhythmic pulse of his own Qi. Visualizing the core within his dantian, he focused on condensing his vast inner sea of Qi into a singr, potent core. This was a critical step¡ªthe transition from the Inner Sea Realm to the Origin Core Creation Realm required absolute concentration and control. Minutes turned into hours as he maintained his focus. The Qi in his body began topress, swirling faster and growing denser with each passing moment. A faint aura enveloped him, shimmering softly with hints of multiple elemental energies. [You''re progressing well,] Yue Lan''s voice echoed gently in his mind. [Try topress your Qi as much as you can even after forming a core.] He nodded inwardly, pushing aside all distracting thoughts. The image of a perfect, radiant core formed in his mind¡ªa core that would serve as the foundation for his future cultivation. Suddenly, he felt a slight resistance. A barrier was preventing theplete condensation of his Qi. ''Huh? A bottleneck? Me? That doesn''t exist for me,'' he thought to himself. Drawing on the power of the multiple physiques he had, he began to absorb the ambient energies around him and the Qi within his Dantian. His bloodline slightly stirred as it gave its own devouring capabilities to his Qi absorption. The petals falling from the cherry blossom tree seemed to slow down, their innate life force subtly drawn towards him. The surrounding spiritual energy converged, amplifying his own power. With this additional influx of energy, the nearly nonexistent barrier began to crack. A surge of pain shot through him, but he gritted his teeth and persevered, knowing that the formation of a core was noughing matter. Sweat formed on his brow, but his expression remained steadfast. [Just a bit more,] Yue Lan encouraged. [You''re almost there.] Channeling thest of his strength, he directed a final push of Qi towards the core. The barrier shattered, and a brilliant light emanated from within his dantian. The swirling Qi condensed into a pristine, luminescent core¡ªthe mark of the Origin Core Creation Realm. A wave of relief and exhration washed over him. He opened his eyes, and for a moment, they shined with newfound profundity. The world around him seemed more vivid¡ªthe colors brighter, the sounds clearer. He took a deep breath, feeling everything about him elevated to a higher level: his strength, his lifespan. Clenching and unclenching his fists, he marveled at the increase in his physical and spiritual strength. [Congrattions,] Yue Lan said warmly. [You''ve sessfully broken through to the Origin Core Creation Realm.] Shen Yuan smiled softly. "Thanks for needlessly disturbing me." [The heck?! I was just cheering you on!] she screamed as if someone had stepped on her tail. He smirked and shook his head before slowly standing up and stretching his limbs. The gentle breeze felt invigorating against his skin. Looking around, he noticed that the garden seemed more alive than ever, each leaf and petal resonating with energy. But there seemed to be some dead petals around his sitting area. He frowned slightly as he remembered his bloodline stirring during his breakthrough. He shook his head before waving his hand and sending the dead petals outside of his mansion. "Now that I''ve advanced, it''s time to integrate the Thunder God Codex," he thought aloud. [Hmph! Indeed. With your new cultivation level, the integration should proceed smoothly. However, you''ll need a lightning elemental resource to awaken your lightning affinity.] "Huh? I don''t think I needed such a resource to awaken my Fire Affinity, though, right?" he asked, thinking he could start cultivating right away. [You already had fire affinity; you got that together with your Alchemy Affinity.] He pondered for a moment. "I see. Perhaps I can find something suitable in the Inner Sect''s treasury, especially with the medallion the Sect Leader gave me. Maybe a special ore or herb that I can absorb for that." Chapter 239: Training [Sounds like a n. We didn''t look through the Inner Sect Treasury thoroughlyst time. Maybe we can find something there this time.] Deciding to head towards the Inner Sect Treasury, Shen Yuan made his way back into his residence to prepare. Before heading out, he paused at a window overlooking the sect grounds. Disciples moved about doing their things¡ªsome training, others engaging in Dao discussions. The atmosphere was one of diligence and aspiration. "I wonder how Qingyu is doing," he thought, recalling how she had invited him to train together. "Perhaps I can go meet with her after heading to the Sect Treasury." With his decision made, he left his residence and headed towards the Inner Sect''s treasury. The journey was peaceful, the morning activities of the sect providing a harmonious backdrop as he felt the Spatial Intent of the portals. Upon arriving at the treasury, he was greeted by two elder disciples guarding the entrance. "Greetings, Senior Brother Shen Yuan," one of them said with a respectful bow. "How may we assist you?" He presented the medallion given by Sect Leader Mei Hua. "Looks like everyone is practicing for thepetition we have, so few people here. Anyways, I have been granted ess to the treasury to select some resources for my cultivation." The disciples examined the medallion and exchanged a nce of pure surprise before bowing again. "Of course, please proceed inside. If you require some help, do feel free to ask us for anything." Entering the treasury, Shen Yuan was once again struck by the sheer magnitude of wealth contained within. Even if the techniques were not suitable for him, the other stuff was invaluable. Shelves upon shelves of rare herbs, ores, scrolls, and artifacts filled the expansive space. The air was thick with potent spiritual energy, each item emitting its own unique aura. He walked slowly, looking around, allowing his senses to guide him. Soon, he found the section dedicated to elemental essences. "This is some good stuff. These are all things higher-level cultivators use for cultivation in the outside world, and here it is stored in the Inner Sect Treasury for all the disciples to use," he marveled while looking at the rows of shelves with different items. [True, these things are on an even higher level than High Tier Spirit Stones.] He browsed the shelves for a while before, among them, a particr item caught his attention¡ªa crystalline orb pulsating with electric energy. "This is... a Lightning Essence Orb," he observed. [Take it, Shen Yuan!] Yue Lan said with excitement. [These guys are too wasteful leaving this treasure here; they might even use it for cksmithing.] "Huh? What''s its use then?" he asked while looking at the pulsating thunder within the orb. [This can grant you King Tier thunder affinity directly. This is some good stuff, I''m telling ya, Yuan''er!] "...Stop talking like that first." He shook his head before carefully taking the orb. He continued to browse, selecting a few additional herbs and materials that could help him with his alchemy and cksmithing. Satisfied with his selections, he thanked the disciples at the entrance and made his way back to his residence. Once there, he, for once, decided not to sit beneath the cherry blossom tree but headed inside to settle into a quiet chamber designed for cultivation in the mansion. cing the Lightning Essence Orb before him, he sat cross-legged. "Now, how do I absorb it?" he asked while staring at the orb intently. [Hmm, try to ce that orb between your palms and see if something happens.] "Like this?" He picked up the orb before cing one hand at the top and another at the bottom of it. Yue Lan remained silent as they both waited for something to happen. "Looks like no¡ª" before Shen Yuan''s words could finish, his bloodline stirred and released a devouring force directly outside of his hands. He hurriedly closed his eyes and focused his mind. The orb started to emit brighter shes of light. Threads of electric energy extended from it, intertwining with his fingers and traveling up his arms. A tingling sensation spread throughout his body, growing in intensity. He maintained calm breaths, letting the wild energy course through him as the bloodline continued devouring it and sending it within his body. The lightning essence surged into his meridians, merging with his Qi. Sparks danced across his skin, yet he remained calm. Minutes passed, and the energy of the orb gradually settled. Opening his eyes, they briefly flickered with thunder. [Looks like you were able to do it just right,] Yue Lan said. [You have sessfully managed to get Peak Rank King Grade Thunder Affinity.] He clenched his fist, feeling the crackle of energy at hismand. "I can''t even kill a Body Refining Realm cultivator with this level of thunder." [Of course you can''t,] Yue Lan said as if stating the obvious. [You have merely gained the affinity, not cultivated it yet. Cultivate it in your fifth Dantian first before saying how good or bad it is.] "Hmm... You are right; I should do that first." He closed his eyes as he began retrieving the technique from his Sea of Consciousness. He began to study it in depth. The codex depicted advanced methods of harnessing lightning¡ªtechniques that could enhance his speed and offensive capabilities significantly. Time flowed as he immersed himself in learning. Hours turned into days as he practiced the initial forms and meditative exercises described in the codex. asionally, arcs of lightning would sh around him, illuminating the room with brilliant light. By the end of the third day, he had mastered the foundational aspects of the Thunder God Codex and reached the cultivation base of the Inner Sea Realm with it. His movements were now imbued with lightning energy, allowing him to traverse short distances in the blink of an eye as if he himself transformed into thunder. "Now, I need to make a breakthrough to the Origin Core Creation Realm with my Radiant Lotus Cultivation Art, Inferno Smithing Technique, and Thunder God Codex." He exhaled a long sigh as small thunder particles seemed toe out. [You need to consolidate your fifth Dantian as well; it''s still leaking a bit of your Thunder Qi.] "Hmm... I might need a month to do all this." He rubbed his chin while thinking. "Lan''er, what were the prices for the Dual Cultivation Chamber if I train alone inside with a time dtion of 1:30?" he asked. [Give or take 10,000 Chaos Coins, and it will continue to increase as you raise your cultivation base further.] "Oh? For the first time, you sound reasonable. Good, I will train for a day inside to get done with all of this." He smiled and nodded his head. [Sure.] Yue Lan said with a bored tone before teleporting him inside one of the rooms of the Dual Cultivation Chambers. "By the way, show me how many Chaos Coins I have in total." [Chaos Coins¡ª1,570,000] "Hmm, the recent reward was added as well." He nodded his head with a smile. He nced around the room, noting its simple yet elegant design. In the center of the room was afortable bed with a red nket neatly ced. On the bedside table, a delicate jade vial containing a swirling golden liquid seemed to be waiting for him. Chapter 240: Mastering Techniques In the center of the room was afortable bed with a red nket ced upon it. At the bedside table, a delicate jade vial containing a swirling golden liquid was ced. The sight of it caught Shen Yuan''s attention. "Huh? What is this?" he murmured, picking up the vial and examining it closely. [Oh, that?] Yue Lan''s voice echoed in his mind. [It''s a Heaven Grade bloodline from one of your previous quests, the one where you resolved the karmic ties with Han Ming. You had no use for it as well, so I ced it here.] He uncorked the vial slightly, sensing the potent energy within. "A Heaven Grade bloodline, huh? Well, I was far too busy back then to remember it." [Indeed. Though this is useless to you, I doubt your bloodline will allow another bloodline to exist, much less this lower-level bloodline.] He thought over her words carefully. "Well, I can use it to help someone gain a bloodline or craft a special treasure." [That can also be done. Maybe one of your big sister''s disciples can use it.] Shen Yuan nodded his head and fell into deep thoughts before muttering to himself, "Hmm... Why do I feel like I''m missing something or someone quite important for thest few days?" [Oh, you finally remembered?] Yue Lan''s voice turned amused as she had been waiting for him to recall. Shen Yuan got silent as his brows creased; his mind spun thinking about it, and his eyes soon widened as he blurted out, "Xueyan!" [Precisely, hehe. You really forgot about the poor thing.] Shen Yuan released a long exhale. "I really didn''t remember her, but I also didn''t see her in the garden. Where did she go?" [She is resting inside the Beast Companion space of the system. What? You think there won''t be a beastpanion space in the system when you have Dual Cultivation Chambers?] "Oh? That''s quite nice. So is there any additional benefit of cing my beastpanions inside, or is it just an empty ce?" He rubbed his chin and asked curiously. [With Chaos Coins, anything is possible.] "Hmm... Use 100,000 Chaos Coins to make the environment more suitable for Xueyan''s growth," he finally decided. [Hmm? Quite magnanimous you are today. Well, that works as well. She can better absorb the Spirit Stones she ate before.] He nodded his head upon hearing her words before cing the vial back on the table carefully. Walking towards the meditation mat and sitting down, he began to prepare for his month-long seclusion. The array beneath him glowed back to life as they felt his presence. Threads of spiritual energy rose from the formations, enveloping him in a cocoon of warmth. Shen Yuan closed his eyes and initiated the cultivation techniques which he intended to advance. First, he decided to focus on the Radiant Lotus Cultivation Art, absorbing the ambient Qi in the surroundings as well as the Qi from the Primordial Yins of his harem members. He guided their energy towards his second Dantian to turn it into pure, gentle Radiant Qi. The image of a blooming lotus filled his mind, each petal representing his growingprehension of the cultivation technique. ... "Phew, finally my Radiant Lotus Cultivation Art broke through to the Origin Core Creation Realm." He raised his hand as it glowed with soft, gentle energies, even purer than what the core disciples of Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect have. He shook his hand to dispel the energies before focusing back on the remaining techniques. "I need to hurry up and advance thest two techniques to the Origin Core Creation Realm, as I need to learn some of the techniques from the Thunder God Codex as well," he said to himself as he closed his eyes and delved deeper into his meditation. Visualizing a zing forge, he channeled the Qi to his fourth Dantian and turned his Qi into elemental fire within him, refining his Qi as a cksmith tempers steel. ... Finally, he turned his attention to the Thunder God Codex. With his newly acquired King Grade Lightning affinity, the technique seemed to be tailor-made for him, moving the Qi as naturally as if it were in nature. He felt the electric currents coursing through his veins, making his Qi much more active. Shen Yuan continued to immerse himself in the Thunder God Codex, pushing his understanding and control of lightning Qi to new heights with each passing day. The electric currents coursing through his veins grew stronger, and his Qi became more active and potent. Finally, after a long period of rigorous cultivation, he felt a surge within his fifth Dantian. The lightning Qi condensed, filling his dantian with lightning Qi that crackled with electric energy. He had sessfully broken through to the Origin Core Creation Realm with the Thunder God Codex. "Finally," he whispered, opening his eyes to see arcs of lightning dancing across his fingertips. [Perfect,] Yue Lan''s voice echoed in his mind. [You''ve sessfully advanced the Thunder God Codex. Now you can begin learning the basic techniques which are inside of it.] Shen Yuan nodded. "This manual is so much better than the Inferno Smithing Technique; that doesn''t even have any auxiliary techniques. Anyway, let''s start with the ones that will enhance mybat abilities the most." He essed the codex stored in his Sea of Consciousness, selecting several techniques that caught his interest: Thunderbolt sh Step : Mid Grade Heaven Rank Technique¡ªa movement technique that allows instantaneous movement by transforming into lightning. Heavenly Thunder Palm : Low Grade Heaven Rank Technique¡ªan offensive technique that concentrates lightning Qi into the palm, releasing it in a devastating strike. Lightning Barrier : High Grade Heaven Rank Technique¡ªa defensive technique that creates a shield of lightning around the user. Storm Summoning Art : Peak Grade Heaven Rank Technique¡ªa powerful technique that maniptes weather to call forth a thunderstorm in a small area. He began with the Thunderbolt sh Step . This technique required precise control over lightning Qi to convert one''s body into pure energy momentarily. He stood up and took a deep breath, focusing his mind. Circting the lightning Qi throughout his body, he visualized himself bing one with the lightning. In a sudden burst, he vanished from his spot and reappeared across the chamber. "Not bad for a first attempt," he mused, as his Thunder Affinity and High Comprehension helped him to master the technique on the first try. Over the next several days, he practiced relentlessly, increasing his speed and the distance he could cover. His movements became more fluid and instantaneous, leaving afterimages of electric sparks. Next, he moved on to the Heavenly Thunder Palm . This technique required him to gather a significant amount of lightning Qi into his palm and release it upon contact. He channeled the energy, feeling his palm tingling with lightning Qi. Facing a sturdy training dummy that Yue Lan had materialized for him, he struck out with his palm. A burst of lightning exploded upon impact, reducing the dummy to charred fragments. "Kek, let the soul of those who face this technique rest in peace," he yfully smirked and joined his hands as if praying. Yue Lan felt her eye twitching at his action, yet she remained silent as she was toozy to bother with him. Chapter 241: Exiting Seclusion He continued to refine the technique, working on controlling the intensity and focusing the energy for maximum effect. After some time, he became able to coat his arm with a small amount of lightning Qi, not even enough to harm someone. "Hmm... Maybe I can do thunder massage with this. I should try it on someone," he thought to himself as various targets shed in his mind. Soon, he began training his defensive technique. The Lightning Barrier was essential for defense. Sitting down, he concentrated on forming a shield around himself. Lightning Qi flowed outward, creating a crackling barrier that enveloped him. He tested its strength by manipting his Fire Qi andunching small energy attacks at himself. The barrier held firm, deflecting the attacks harmlessly. "Not strong enough; I need to strengthen it for real-lifebat situations," he remarked, seeing the quality of the barrier. He practiced maintaining the barrier while moving and executing other techniques, ensuring he could use it instinctively when needed. The Storm Summoning Art was moreplex, involving manipting the environment. Although inside the chamber, he could simte the conditions thanks to the Chaos Coins. He raised his hands, channeling a huge amount of his Qi upward. The air around him began to stir, and dark clouds formed above. Lightning shed within the clouds, and thunder rumbled. "Even without real atmospheric conditions, the simtion is quite realistic," he thought. "Maybe I can prank someone by impersonating the Heavens with this technique. Heh, it will be fun," he thought about how he could fool his enemies. He worked on controlling the intensity and area of the storm, aiming to use it to his advantage in battle and other situations by enhancing his lightning techniques and disrupting opponents. He also tried to bring down thunder to strike his opponents, which left parts of the room charred ck from the intensity of the thunder. As the month within the chamber drew to a close, Shen Yuan had made significant progress with all four techniques. He felt more confident in his abilities as his vitality had just increased by a level; he felt eager for the sectpetition to arrive so he could test his abilities. [You''ve really improved too much in this period of time. Not only has your cultivation base stabilized, but you even made progress with the other Dantians,] Yue Lan praised. [Your mastery over the Thunder God Codex is even more impressive; it has already surpassed your other Dantians except for your main one.] "Of course, it would be a shame if I couldn''t do at least this much with my talent," he replied with a small chuckle. He stood up and stretched, feeling invigorated. "It''s time to leave the chamber." Exiting the dual cultivation chamber, he felt the familiar shift as time normalized. Only a day had passed in the outside world. "Now, how many days are left for the Sect Competition?" he thought aloud as he walked out of his main building and entered the garden. "There should be around a week left, more or less," he said while looking at his serene garden. "Maybe I should visit her now; I made that promise quite a few days ago after all." He decided to seek out Han Qingyu for the training session they had discussed. It would be an excellent opportunity to see what hidden bloodline she had unlocked, as well as to give her some pointers. As he walked through the sect grounds, he noticed the vibrant activity. Disciples were busy preparing for the uingpetition, training diligently. While making his way towards Han Qingyu''s mansion, Shen Yuan spotted a familiar figure approaching him. "Senior Brother Shen Yuan!" a cheerful voice called out. He turned to see Wan Ling hurrying towards him, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Wan Ling," he greeted with a nod and smiled gently at her. "You seem energetic today." She smiled brightly. "I heard about your breakthroughs! Congrattions on advancing to the Origin Core Creation Realm." "Huh? How did you know? I just came out of seclusion," Shen Yuan tilted his head and asked. "Of course! You''re the talk of the sect. An Inner Sect elder who was going somewhere felt the disturbance in Qi around your mansion and guessed that you were already breaking through to the Origin Core Creation Realm," she excitedly said. "Everyone is curious about the only male disciple who''s progressing so rapidly," she continued yfully. He shook his head. "I''m just doing what I can." Wan Ling tilted her head slightly. "By the way, are you heading somewhere? Perhaps you could give me some pointers sometime before thepetition." "I''m actually on my way to meet Han Qingyu. I had promised to spar with her," he exined. "Ah, I see. Well, don''t forget about me. I''d love to get some pointers from you," she said with a wink. He smiled. "I''ll keep that in mind. See you around, Wan Ling." "See you!" Continuing on his path, Shen Yuan finally arrived at Han Qingyu''s residence. Her mansion was modest yet elegant, surrounded by a serene garden filled with blooming flowers and a small koi pond. He approached the entrance and knocked gently on the ornate wooden door. Momentster, the door opened to reveal Han Qingyu, her eyes lighting up upon seeing him. "Brother Yuan! Finally, you''re here," she eximed with a warm smile. He returned the smile. "Qingyu, been a long time. I hope I''m not disturbing you." "Not at all. I was just finishing up some meditation," she replied, stepping aside to invite him in. He entered the mansion, noting the calming atmosphere and the subtle fragrance of jasmine in the air. They walked to a sitting area overlooking the garden. "Please, have a seat," she gestured. He sat down, taking in the tranquil surroundings. "You have a lovely ce," hemented. "Thank you. I prefer a peaceful environment for cultivation," she replied. She hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Brother Shen Yuan, there''s something I wanted to share with you." He looked at her calmly. "I''m listening." She took a deep breath. "As you had expected, Brother Shen Yuan, I recently awakened a dormant constitution.And because of that, I made significant progress in my cultivation." He chuckled yfully. "Haha, I had said before that you have a hidden constitution. You should have just believed in me." She nodded. "Yes, it''s called the ''Azure Phoenix Physique.'' It''s a rare lineage that enhances one''s cultivation speed and grants control over wind and fire elements." He smiled warmly. "Looks like congrattions are in order, Qingyu. You might surpass me soon at this rate." She giggled softly at his words, "Don''t make fun of me, Brother Yuan. I know what I''m capable of. I''m sure I can''tpare to even 1% of your talent with my meager abilities." She continued, "Anyway, because of the awakening, my cultivation base has advanced to the fourth level of Origin Core Creation Realm." He nodded approvingly. "Your progress is impressive. I knew you had great potential. See, you even surpassed me in cultivation base." She blushed slightly at thepliment. "Thank you. I wanted to tell you first since you''ve always supported me." Chapter 242 Deep into the Night He waved his hand dismissively. "You achieved this through your own hard work and talent. No need to be modest now." She gazed at him with gratitude. "Still, without you, I would have never been able to join this sect or unlock my true potential." He leaned back slightly. "Well then, shall we see how much you''ve improved?" Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Are you going to give me pointers, Brother Yuan?" He chuckled. "Only if you''re up for it." She stood up in excitement. "Absolutely. Let''s head to the training grounds. It''s not every day that someone gets the opportunity to spar with you." They made their way to the open area behind the main building of her mansion. The training ground was surrounded by tall trees, providing both privacy and a natural setting. "Ready when you are," she said, taking her position. He smiled. "Don''t hold back." She began by summoning a gentle breeze around her, the air swirling with faint traces of azure mes. He observed her control over the fire and wind elements; he raised an eyebrow, seeing the crude integration. Sheunched forward with impressive speed, her sword enveloped in azure fire. He activated his Thunderbolt sh Step, dodging her initial strike. "Good speed, but if you integrate your wind and mes more seamlessly, your speed will reach new heights," he remarked. She smiled. "Thank you for the guidance, but I haven''t even shown you everything yet." She gestured with her free hand, and a gust of wind propelled her forward, allowing her to close the distance rapidly. He responded by summoning a Lightning Barrier, the crackling energy deflecting her fiery de. She leaped back gracefully, gathering energy. "Azure Phoenix Ascension!" she called out. A burst of azure mes erupted around her, forming the shape of a majestic phoenix. He watched with admiration. "Impressive technique; seems like a growth-type technique as well," hemented. She directed the fiery phoenix toward him. He decided to test his new technique as well. "Storm Summoning Art," he intoned softly. Dark clouds gathered overhead, and lightning crackled within them. He channeled the lightning energy into his palms. As the phoenix approached, he released a surge of lightning, the two forces colliding in a brilliant disy. The impact sent shockwaves through the training ground. After the dust settled, they both stood facing each other, smiles on their faces. "That was exhrating," she said, slightly breathless. He nodded. "Indeed. Your control over your new powers is remarkable for how little time you have spent mastering them." Stay connected with empire She walked over to him. "Thank you, Brother Shen Yuan. Sparring with you was really helpful for my cultivation. I found a lot of mistakes that seemed negligible when training on my own." He patted her head gently. "You can ask for a spar anytime; no need to be shy with me." She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his. "Then I will listen to you." She paused, staring into his eyes for a while before continuing, "You always know how to make me feel at ease," she said softly. He smiled warmly. "That''s what friends are for." She hesitated for a moment, then took a small step closer. "Brother Yuan, ever since we first met, you''ve been there for me¡ªnot just as a fellow disciple or a friend, but as someone I can truly rely on." He noticed the subtle change in her tone and the way her cheeks flushed ever so slightly. "I''m d I''ve been able to help. Not only has your strength increased, but your mental fortitude has made significant progress." She took a deep breath, gathering her courage. "I... I wanted to thank you properly." He lightly shook his head with a smile. "There''s no need for thanks between us." She shook her head gently while lowering it slightly. "No, I insist. You''ve been my mentor, my confidant, and..." she paused, raising her head, her eyes searching his. "...and someone very special to me." He looked deeply at her, realizing the budding feelings in her heart. "Qingyu..." She continued her voice barely above a whisper. "I know we are both focused on our cultivation and the uingpetition, but I wanted you to know how I feel." Shen Yuan stayed silent for a second before asking, "Have you thought about your feelings thoroughly?" Han Qingyu nodded her head and replied, "The weeks we spent traveling, the consideration you showed me when you asked for Big Sis Huo Rong to make me join the sect, the days I spent thinking about you, and thest time we met... All of this has made me realize what I truly want." He looked into her eyes, seeing the sincerity and vulnerability there. "Qingyu...," he softly said while patting her head. She smiled softly. "Then perhaps, when time allows, we could spend more moments like this together?" He nodded. "I''d like that. It''s easy to lose ourselves in cultivation, but spending leisure time like this is also important." A gentle breeze rustled the leaves around them, the atmosphere filled with budding love. She nced at the sky, noticing thete hour. "It''s gettingte. Would you like to stay for some tea before you go?" He considered her offer. "Tea sounds nice." They walked back to her mansion, the setting sun casting a golden hue over the garden. Inside, she led him to a cozy sitting area adorned with delicatenterns that emitted a warm glow. She prepared the tea gracefully, the fragrant aroma filling the room. "This is a special blend I''ve been working on," she said, pouring the tea into beautiful jade cups. He epted the cup, blowing softly as he inhaled the soothing scent. "It smells wonderful." They sat together, the conversation flowing naturally. They spoke of their past, shared their insights from the training, andughed over amusing anecdotes. As the evening progressed, the distance between them seemed to close. She reached out tentatively, her fingers brushing against his hand. "I''m d you came today." He looked at their hands touching and met her gaze. "So am I. It''s moments like these that remind me there''s more to life than just cultivation." She smiled, her eyes reflecting the soft light of thenterns. "You''ve given me so much confidence, not just in my cultivation but in myself." He turned his hand over, gently holding hers. "You were always strong, Qingyu. Even when I arrived at the Han Manor, you were standing against the Han Family all on your own. Sometimes it just takes someone else to help us see it." They sat infortable silence for a while, simply enjoying each other''s presence. Eventually, he spoke. "Thepetition is nigh. After it''s over, perhaps we could take some time to explore the surrounding regions. I''ve heard there are ces of great natural beauty nearby." Her face lit up. "I would love that. It would be nice to rx and see the world beyond the sect." He nodded. "It''s a n then." She squeezed his hand lightly. "Thank you, Brother Yuan." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze in return. "For what?" "For being you," she replied softly. They continued talkingte into the night until the stars twinkled brightly above. Chapter 243 Report Realizing howte it was already, he stood up reluctantly. "I should probably head back now." She walked him to the door. "Be safe. And don''t forget our ns." He smiled. "I won''t. Goodnight, Qingyu." "Goodnight, Shen Yuan." As he made his way back to his residence, he couldn''t help but reflect on the evening. There was a new warmth in his heart, a sense of anticipation for what the future might hold. Yue Lan''s voice chimed in his mind. [It seems you''ve grown closer to Han Qingyu.] He smiled inwardly. "Indeed, it was bound to happen sooner orter." [True. It''s good to havepanions who enrich your life in more ways than one.] He agreed silently, appreciating the wisdom in her words. [Then, when will you tell your family about her?] "Haha, I''m sure they are already investigating her background to see if she is fit for the harem or not, and not only her but most likely all of the girls around me." Shen Yuanughed while shaking his head as he headed inside his mansion. The next morning, Shen Yuan awoke feeling refreshed. He stretched his arms while standing up from his bed. "Now, what should I do today?" he said while wearing his clothes and heading towards the garden. He stepped into the garden, the morning sun casting a gentle glow over the dewdrops clinging to the grass. The cherry blossom tree remained standing at the center as usual, its petals fluttering softly in the breeze. Shen Yuan made his way to the wooden table beneath the tree, where a tea set awaited him. He poured himself a cup of tea, the fragrant aroma of jasmine filling the air. Taking a sip, he savored the delicate vor, allowing himself a moment of peace. The chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves created a serene melody that eased his mind. As he contemted his ns for the day, he couldn''t help but think about the uing sectpetition and his progressing rtionship with Han Qingyu. A slight smile formed on his lips as he recalled the warmth of her gaze. His peaceful moment was interrupted by a gentle knock at the gate of his residence. Setting down his cup, he stood up and walked towards the entrance. Opening the gate, he found a young female disciple standing there, her expression respectful yet slightly nervous. "Senior Brother Shen Yuan," she greeted with a bow. "I have a delivery for you." He nodded politely. "Thank you. Please,e in." She stepped inside, carefully handing him a small jade box. "This arrived for you earlier this morning. I was instructed to deliver it personally." He epted the box, sensing a familiar aura within. "Thanks for your efforts." The disciple hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "If there''s nothing else, I''ll take my leave." "Of course. Thank you again," he said with a gentle smile. She bowed once more before turning to depart, a faint blush on her cheeks. Closing the gate behind her, Shen Yuan returned to his seat beneath the cherry blossom tree. cing the jade box on the table, he opened it to reveal a storage ring nestled within. Recognizing it as the one used by Lian Fang, the mercenary that he had met thest time he went out for a mission. A special jade orb was ced within the storage ring that he took out. He picked it up and infused a trace of his spiritual senses into it. Immediately, a wealth of information flowed into his mind. Detailed reports about the Ironwood Mountain n appeared before his inner eye: profiles of the n leader, the elders, and the disciples who would be attending thepetition. There were also strategic assessments of their strengths, weaknesses, and known techniques. "Well done, Lian Fang," he murmured appreciatively. The thoroughness of the information exceeded his expectations. He began to sift through the data. The Ironwood Mountain n was known for their mastery of wood-based techniques and body-strengthening arts. Their n leader, Elder Mu Rong, was a formidable cultivator at the Nascent Soul Realm, renowned for his imprable defenses. The participating disciples were no pushovers either. Among them was Mu Chen, the prodigious grandson of the n leader, rumored to have achieved the peak of the Origin Core Creation Realm with a unique physique that granted him exceptional resilience. "Thispetition will be more interesting than I thought; there are more monkeys for me to y with," Shen Yuan mused. He continued reviewing the information, and making mental notes of potential challenges and opportunities. Yue Lan''s voice echoed in his mind. [It seems Lian Fang has outdone herself. Having this intel will give you a significant advantage.] Find exclusive content at empire He nodded slightly. "Indeed. Knowing the opponents is the first step to securing victory for others." [Are you nning to share this information with anyone? Perhaps Han Qingyu could benefit from it.] He considered her suggestion. "You''re right. It would be beneficial for her, while the rest are far too weak to participate in thispetition since they recently advanced to the Inner Sea Realm. I''ll prepare a summarized version to share." As he was contemting this, he felt a subtle presence approaching his residence once more. Turning his gaze towards the entrance, he sensed a familiar aura. Momentster, a graceful figure appeared at the gate¡ªit was Wan Ling. She spotted him beneath the cherry blossom tree and approached with a cheerful smile. "Senior Brother Shen Yuan, I hope I''m not intruding," she said warmly. He gestured for her to join him. "Not at all, Wan Ling. Please, have a seat." She settled across from him, admiring the peaceful setting. "Your garden is as beautiful as ever. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom." He poured her a cup of tea. "After all, I take care of them diligently every morning." [The only thing you do is drink tea or wine beneath the poor tree, tsk.] He ignored Yue Lan as Wan Ling epted the cup gratefully. She took a sip of the tea, her expression turning thoughtful. "There''s a lot of talk about the Ironwood Mountain n. They say their disciples are exceptionally strong this year." He raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What have you heard?" "Just rumors, mostly. That their top disciple, Mu Chen, is nearly unbeatable in closebat. Some are feeling a bit anxious." He smiled faintly. "Competitions are as much about strategy as they are about strength. Knowing your enemy makes the fight that much easier." She looked at him curiously. "You seem confident. Do you have some extra information that you won''t mind sharing?" Heughed softly. "I''m confident in my own strength; I won''t lose to these disciples who are not even a major realm above me." But he paused and considered for a moment. "I might have some information that could help. I think the sect will share this information on thest day, but I got it by my own means. I will send you the information when I''m done sorting it." Her eyes lit up. "I would appreciate that greatly." "Very well. I''ll send word once everything is ready." They chatted a while longer before Wan Ling took her leave, expressing her gratitude once more. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 244 Training with Wan Ling As the day progressed, Shen Yuan organized the information from Lian Fang. He meticulously sifted through the data, highlighting key strengths, weaknesses, and known techniques of the Ironwood Mountain n''s disciples. After finalizing the summary, he inscribed everything onto a jade slip, sealing it with a trace of his spiritual energy. "That should be enough for now," he murmured to himself, satisfied with the result. He went ahead and decided to give the jade slip to Han Qingyu directly. cing the jade slip securely in his sleeve, he left his residence and headed toward her mansion. The sect grounds were lively, with disciples engrossed in their training¡ªthe anticipation for the uingpetition evident in their focused expressions. Upon reaching Han Qingyu''s abode, he lightly knocked on the door and waited for some time, but seeing no response, he frowned and pushed open the gates. Once inside, he found her in the garden, gracefully practicing her swordsmanship. Azure mes danced along the de of her sword as she moved, each strike more refined than thest. Not wanting to interrupt her training, he watched silently from outside the garden, appreciating the elegance of her form and the significant improvement in her technique. Sensing his presence, shepleted her final movement before turning to face him. A radiant smile bloomed on her beautiful face. "Brother Yuan, what brings you here?" He calmly approached her, his face forming a small smile involuntarily. "I have something that might help you out in the uingpetition." He handed her the jade slip. "It''s a summary of the information I''ve gathered about the Ironwood Mountain n''s participants." Her eyes widened slightly as she epted the jade slip. "You''ve already gathered this information? Did Big Sis Huo Rong give this to you?" He shrugged nonchntly. "No, I have my own means. Anyways, this should be helpful for you, so look thoroughly inside of it." She looked at him gratefully. "Thank you, truly. This will help me out a lot during thepetition." He nodded. "If you have any questions or need rification on any of the details, feel free to ask me anytime." Her eyes softened. "I appreciate that. Perhaps we could go over it togetherter?" He chuckled softly. "I''d like that. But for now, I need to head out to visit Wan Ling; she requested to spar with me. I promised to give her some pointers." Han Qingyu''s expression turned yful. "Ah, you''re quite popr these days, Brother Yuan. Don''t let me keep you." He chuckled softly. "I''ll see youter then." "Take care," she called after him as he left her mansion. Leaving her residence, Shen Yuan made his way to Wan Ling''s mansion to meet up with her for the spar. As Shen Yuan approached Wan Ling''s residence, he couldn''t help but admire the serene beauty of her home. The vibrant flowers and meticulously trimmed shrubs added a tranquil charm to the surroundings. Arriving in front of the wooden gate, he softly knocked on it. The gate opened promptly, revealing Wan Ling''s bright smile. "Senior Brother Shen Yuan, you''re right on time," she said cheerfully. He nodded with a calm smile. "How could I let my cute junior sister wait here?" She gestured for him to enter. "Haha, please,e in. I thought we could spar in the garden. It''s peaceful, and we''ll have plenty of space." "That sounds perfect," he agreed, following her along a stone path that led to a spacious clearing surrounded by tall bamboo. She walked a bit further and turned around; they both looked at each other serenely. Wan Ling drew her slender sword, its de gleaming in the sunlight filtering through the leaves. "Shall we begin?" she asked, her eyes reflecting both determination and a hint of excitement. He tilted his head slightly. "Whenever you''re ready." Taking a deep breath, she settled into her stance, her posture sharp and focused. With a swift movement, sheunched herself forward, her sword slicing through the air with precision. Shen Yuan effortlessly sidestepped her initial strike, observing her form carefully. She followed up with a series of quick attacks, each executed with increased precision and grace. He parried her blows with ease, noting the improvements in her technique. "Your footwork has be more stable," he remarked, deflecting another strike. She smiled lightly. "I''ve been practicing diligently since ourst session." "Good," he replied, increasing his speed slightly to challenge her reflexes as he took out a sword as well. She adjusted ordingly, her movements fluid as she matched his pace. They exchanged blows for several minutes, the rhythmic shing of their swords harmonizing with the natural sounds of the garden. The scent of blooming jasmine filled the air, adding to the enchanting ambiance. Noticing a slight opening in her defense, Shen Yuan seized the moment to disarm her gently, sending her sword spinning softly into the grass. She gasped softly, surprise evident in her eyes. "Your left side remains a bit vulnerable," he pointed out, lowering his weapon. She nodded, catching her breath. "I thought I had corrected that." He stepped closer, his gaze attentive and focused. "May I?" he asked, gesturing to adjust her stance. "Please," she replied, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. He moved behind her, his hands lightly resting on her arms as he guided her posture. "Shift your weight slightly forward, and keep your shoulder rxed. It will give you better bnce and allow for quicker reactions." She felt the warmth of his touch, his proximity causing her heart to flutter unexpectedly. "I see... I indeed feel my body stabilizing more naturally," she agreed softly. He lightly stepped back, looking at her from top to bottom before saying, "Try it again." Retrieving her sword, she faced him once more. This time, her movements were more stable, and her defenses became much stronger and more precise. They continued sparring, with Shen Yuan gently guiding her, offering tips and encouragement. After a while, they paused. Wan Ling felt the toll on her body, yet she felt invigorated at the same time. "Quite the talent you have. You''re improving rapidly," he praised, sheathing his sword. She beamed. "It''s thanks to your guidance, Senior Brother." He shook his head modestly. "No amount of guidance would have been helpful if you didn''t have the talent for it and weren''t working hard to achieve your goal." She smiled brightly at his praise, gesturing toward a shaded pavilion nearby. She asked, "Would you like to rest and have some tea?" He nodded his head with a gentle smile. "That would be nice." They walked together to the pavilion, where a delicate tea set awaited on a carved wooden table. The gentle sound of water cascading over stones added to the peaceful atmosphere. Wan Ling poured the fragrant tea into two cups, the aroma of lotus blossoms filling the air. "I hope you like it," she said, handing him a cup filled with fragrant tea. He blew on the cup and took a sip; the warm liquid slid down his throat smoothly. "Oh, it tastes really nice." She smiled, her eyes reflecting the soft light filtering through the leaves. "I''m d that you like it, Senior Brother." Chapter 245 Returning to the Mansion They sat infortable silence for a moment, the tranquility of the garden enveloping them. "Senior Brother," she began hesitantly, "I wanted to thank you again for your help. Not just today, but for always taking the time to assist me." He met her gaze. "It''s no trouble. We''re fellow disciples, after all. And you are the disciple of my Big Sis as well." She looked down at her teacup, tracing the rim with her finger. "Still, I appreciate it. You make me feel... capable." He gently patted her head. "You are capable, Wan Ling. You have a lot of potential." She nced up, a hint of shyness hidden within her eyes. "It means a lot to hear you say that." He gently smiled at her words. "I''m just stating the truth." She took a deep breath, gathering her courage. "I very much like spending time with you, Senior Brother. Perhaps, after thepetition, we could... spend more time together?" He felt his eyes twitching at the simr request; nheless, looking at her hopeful expression, he gently patted her head. "I would like that as well." Her face brightened. "Really?" He nodded. "Yes. I have a few locations I want to visit in the surrounding region as well." She nodded her head with a sweet smile. "That would be perfect." He chuckled. "Let''s make some ns after thepetition ends." She looked at him thoughtfully. "You''re right, though. It''s easy to be consumed by training." They continued chatting, sharing stories and discussing their aspirations within the sect. The conversation flowed effortlessly, and the afternoon sun cast a warm glow around them. As the day began to wane, Wan Ling stood up. "I should probably let you go. I''m sure you have other things to take care of." He rose as well. "Time does fly. Thank you for the tea." She walked with him toward the mansion''s exit. As they approached a small bridge over a koi pond, she stumbled slightly on an uneven stone. Shen Yuan reacted swiftly, his hand reaching out to steady her. "Careful," he said gently, his hand ced on her arm. She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his. For a moment, the world seemed to slow, the only sound the gentle ripple of water beneath them. "Thank you," she whispered, a soft blush tinting her cheeks. He released her arm slowly. "You''re wee." They continued walking, a subtle shift in the atmosphere between them. At the gate, she turned to face him. "Take care, Senior Brother Shen Yuan." He nodded his head. "You too, Wan Ling. Don''t overwork yourself. And if you encounter any problem, don''t hesitate to approach me, whether it''s a problem with your cultivation or from outside the sect." She paused at hisst line but soon smiled warmly. "I will. Goodnight." "Goodnight," he replied. As he made his way back to his own residence, the evening air grew colder and became refreshing. He thought back on his time with Wan Ling, appreciating her earnestness and the ease of their conversation. Yue Lan''s teasing voice echoed in his mind. [Got another in the bag, huh?] He responded inwardly with a hint of amusement. "I don''t know what you are talking about." [It seems your circle of admirers is growing.] He didn''t reply directly, but a slight smile yed on his lips. [Good, good. Keep growing your harem; it would be beneficial for you in the long run,] she continued. [Both personally and strategically.] He tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean by that?" [Don''t worry about it for now; it''s still far in the future. You will get a surprise when you break through to the Transcending Tribtion Realm,] she said in a mysterious tone. "Hmm... if you say so. But I would need a lot of time to reach that level." He rubbed his chin while walking back towards his mansion. [Tsk, you reached Origin Core Creation Realm from Foundation Establishment Realm in mere months! Freaking months. Others take years for that, and normal cultivators can''t even hope to achieve it in a decade. And you didn''t even focus on cultivation in this time; you reached this level passively.] "...The clouds look really great today." [Forget you.] "If it''s in your human form, sure." [...] He soon reached his mansion and entered the garden, the soft glow of twilight lighting up the surroundings. He stepped beneath the cherry blossom tree, its petals fluttering gently in the evening breeze. "Another good day," he thought to himself. [So, will you talk with Shen Yuxin and the others about Wan Ling and Han Qingyu?] "...Yes, not only that, I need to share a lot with them. And I also need to ask Mom if she has a Space Element Cultivation Technique." [Hmm... So you have decided to tell them about your Chaotic Vessel Physique?] Shen Yuan sat down on the chair. "Indeed, if I want to cultivate multiple techniques, then I would need the help of everyone I can get to gather the best possible techniques. And who is better for that than Mom, who likely has a whole library filled with higher-level cultivation techniques?" [So you have thought it through thoroughly, seems usible as well. You can better exin your multiple attributes with that as well.] "That''s the n for now. I would need quite a bit of time and peace of mind to cultivate the Space Cultivation Technique if I manage to get my hands on it." He leaned back on the chair and closed his eyes peacefully. He sat there in silence for a few moments, enjoying the gentle breeze that rustled the cherry blossom petals above him. [When do you n on contacting them?] Yue Lan inquired. He remained silent for a moment before replying, "Soon. Perhaps tonight. There''s no point in dying it any further." [That''s wise. No point in dying the inevitable.] He stood up from his chair, stretching his limbs. "Let''s head inside. I need to prepare a message." Walking back into his mansion, he made his way to the study. The room was adorned with bookshelves filled with ancient texts and scrolls. "At least they give some random scrolls while giving the mansion," he remarked, seeing the scrolls and books on the bookshelves. [Those are not random; they have the history of the Eastern Deste Continent, maps of the surrounding region, little details about the surrounding major powers...] "Yeah, so as I said, random scrolls¡ªnot useless." [...] "Hmm, I could have just sent them a message through the Harem Connect feature; no point ining here." He shook his head as he sat down on the chair with a plop, forgetting about the system feature after not using it for quite a while. "Well, I can just message her with Harem Connect now," he said before linking with Shen Yuxin and sending the message. "Mom, there is something serious that I want to discuss with you. Please bring both Big Sisters when youe." Sending the message through Harem Connect, he leaned back in his chair. [Feeling nervous?] Yue Lan teased. He smirked lightly. "Not really. Just curious about how they''ll react." [Your mother will probably be pleased. As for your sisters, well, you know how both of them are.] He chuckled. "Indeed." Chapter 246 Talk with Family Before long, a message arrived through the Harem Connect as he opened his eyes to see: [Shen Yuxin: Alright, my dear. Mommy will be back with both of your sisters soon. Is it anything urgent?] [Shen Yuan: Take your time, Mom. I just wanted to have a little chat.] With that, he disconnected the link and closed his eyes again while leaning on his chair. [Looks like it will be a long night,] Yue Lan mused. "We will see about that." He smiled lightly, thinking about this little family reunion after such a long time. Knock Knock He opened his eyes at the gentle knocksing from the door. Rising from his chair, he made his way to the entrance. Your next read is at empire As he opened the door, he saw Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong looking at him with various expressions. "Mother, Big Sisters," he greeted warmly, stepping aside to invite them in. "Please,e inside." "We can finally spend some time together like the old times now," Huo Rong said with a bright smile while heading inside. Bing Rong followed them in while Shen Yuxin said, "My dear Shen Yuan invited us after all. How could we not show up?" Shen Yuan chuckled softly hearing their words and led them inside. "It''s really been a long time since we''ve all gathered like this," Shen Yuxin remarked with a gentle smile. "Indeed," Huo Rong agreed, her eyes reflecting a mix of affection and curiosity. "You''ve been quite busytely, Yuan''er. Especially with your recent breakthrough." Bing Rong nodded softly. "We are also curious about what you wanted to discuss with us." He led them through the hallways toward his bedroom. "Let''s move to my room where we can talkfortably." Upon entering his bedroom, they found it neatly arranged, with a low table surrounded byfortable cushions near the window overlooking the garden. The soft glow ofnterns cast a warm ambiance. "Sit down wherever you like," he said, gesturing to the seating area. They nodded their heads and settled down as he prepared tea, the delicate aroma of tea leaves filling the room. Shen Yuan poured the tea into cups and handed them out. "Here, try this tea. Prepared by yours truly," he said with a smirk. "Haha, since when did you be so funny?" Shen Yuxin said, taking a sip. "It''s lovely." Huo Rong and Bing Rong also took their cups while giggling in amusement. Once everyone was settled, Shen Yuxin looked at him expectantly. "So, what is it that you wanted to discuss, Yuan''er?" He took a deep breath as he organized his thoughts, meeting their gazes. "I wanted to talk about the new physique that I acquired recently. It is called the Chaotic Vessel Physique." Everyone got silent as they looked at Shen Yuan; Shen Yuxin was the first to speak, "Did you purchase that physique from your system?" Shen Yuan slowly nodded his head, "Yes, this physique is vital to my cultivation, and Yue Lan personally crafted this physique for me." Shen Yuxin''s eyes slightly widened in shock. "She did that?" she softly muttered to herself, regaining herposure. "She is truly exceptional." Huo Rong curiously asked, "Then what is so special about this physique?" Shen Yuan leaned back on his chair and said with a smirk, "This physique lets me cultivate different techniques seamlessly without any conflict in their elements. And I can cultivate hundreds of cultivation techniques with its help." Everyone''s eyes widened in disbelief as they had never heard about someone being able to cultivate hundreds of techniques. "Hundreds... Someone can do this impossible thing?" Bing Rong softly muttered. Huo Rong stared at Shen Yuan, finding it hard to believe how one body can cultivate so many techniques at once. "I have never heard of someone capable of cultivating multiple cultivation techniques at once." "So this was the thing you wanted to tell us," Shen Yuxin softly said, still wondering how strong his new physique was. "No, I have more things to discuss with you." Shen Yuan shook his head smilingly. Shen Yuxin sat up straight and nodded her head seriously. "You can ask us anything, Yuan''er. We will do our best to help you." Shen Yuan hurriedly waved his hands. "Ahaha, it''s nothing serious. I just need a lot of cultivation techniques to fill my Chaotic Vessel Physique. And for now, I specifically need a space-rted cultivation technique. I''m on the precipice ofprehending Spatial Intent, but due to theck of a suitable technique, I can''tprehend it fully." He exined what he needed, but that only made the trio even more astonished at his monstrousprehension power. "You already have a rudimentary understanding of Spatial Intent? Without a space-rted cultivation technique at that?" Huo Rong grabbed his arm and asked. Shen Yuan turned his face around and smiled lightly. "Why would I lie?" "So that''s why you were looking for a space-rted cultivation technique back then," Bing Rong said as she remembered the conversation she had with Shen Yuan before. "Indeed. I have already collected Light Elemental Technique, Fire Elemental Technique, and Thunder Elemental Technique. I was thinking of cultivating a Spatial Cultivation Technique next as it will make all of my techniques much more versatile," Shen Yuan softly said. "You have thought this through, Yuan''er," Shen Yuxin proudly nodded her head. "Space-rted techniques are nearly nonexistent on the Deste Continent." She paused while noticing Shen Yuan''s expression gradually bing disappointed. She stood up from her chair and smiled before continuing. "But lucky you, I happen to be one of the few to have a space-rted cultivation technique." Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up with excitement as he stood up and rushed to hug Shen Yuxin. "You are the best mom!" Shen Yuxin hugged him back with a bright smile on her face and patted his back. "Hehe, I know, no need to remind me." Huo Rong felt her eye twitching looking at their behavior. She softly whispered to Bing Rong, "Now I know where Shen Yuan got his narcissistic behavior from." Bing Rong barely held back herugh as Shen Yuxin shot a re at Huo Rong, who hurriedly turned her face around to not look at her directly. She gently broke the hug and asked Shen Yuan with a yful smile, "Though I''m sure this is not the only thing you wanted to discuss with us, right?" Shen Yuan paused as he thought back about Han Qingyu and Wan Ling; now, when the time to confess came, he hesitated. "Come on, no need to be shy about it," Huo Rong teased from the side. Shen Yuan exhaled a sigh as he also realized he was getting tense for no reason. "It''s about Han Qingyu and Wan Ling, as you guys are aware since they are your disciples. I have grown quite close to them during this time," he said in one breath and looked at the three of them to see how they would react. "Haha, I knew it!" Huo Rongughed while pping her hands. "See? Didn''t I say he would talk about them with us today?" Bing Rong shook her head. "It was bound to happen sooner orter with the way they all interact with each other." Chapter 247 Void Traversing Art Shen Yuxin looked towards the two of them in confusion. "Can someone tell me what is going on?" Huo Rong and Bing Rong looked at each other before Huo Rong stood up and came towards her. "Let me tell you about them¡ª" "No need, I already told Mom about them when we were chatting. She is confused about your confusion, just as I am," Shen Yuan said while shaking his head. "Oh that, haha, it''s nothing. I just told Bing Rong that today you will tell us about our new sisters," she mischievously winked. "So that''s what it was." Shen Yuxin nodded her head and softly bonked Huo Rong''s head. "Go and sit back down, you and your little ys," she shook her head. Huo Rong stuck out her tongue yfully at Shen Yuan before walking back towards her chair. "So, when will you set up a meeting between them and me?" Shen Yuxin yfully asked, turning back to Shen Yuan. "Hmm, might be after thepetition; let them focus on that first," Shen Yuan said. "That''s good as well, and from the looks of it, Huo Rong and Bing Rong have already epted them, huh?" she said while ncing at them. "Yes, we already did a background check on the two of them. Han Qingyu is clear, and Wan Ling has slight trouble at her n," Huo Rong nodded and told her what she found. "But Shen Yuan can take care of it himself; there is no need for us to get involved," Bing Rong followed up and said. "I see, well then I can rest assured about them. As for his harem growing? We all already expected it from the start, so no need to fret over it now, I suppose," Shen Yuxin nodded her head in understanding. Shen Yuan leaned forward and hugged her tightly again. "I love you, Mom." "Haha, me too," she said softly while hugging him back. They continued discussing various topics¡ªhis experiences in the sect, the uingpetition, and their own adventures. The conversation flowed smoothly, filled withughter and shared memories. As the night deepened, Shen Yuxin nced toward the window. "Time flies really fast when we all are together." Huo Rong stretched slightly. "That is true, I just wanna spend all my days with Yuan''er." Bing Rong nodded in agreement. "True, we can never have enough of Yuan''er." He chuckled softly at their words. "It''s about time we go to sleep. Do you mind sleeping like the good old times?" Huo Rong''s eyes lit up. "I was waiting for you to ask that, I sure do want to sleep with you." "Me too," Bing Rong said in a small voice. "That''s decided then," Shen Yuxin smiled softly, seeing everyone so happy. They all went to therge bed as Shen Yuany down in the middle. Huo Rong and Bing Rong bothy down on both sides of his bed while Shen Yuxin imed her spot on top of him. "Good night, Yuan''er," Shen Yuxin softly muttered as she closed her eyes and went to sleep. Huo Rong and Bing Rong echoed soon after, "Good night, lil bro." Shen Yuan gently smiled. "Good night, everyone." The morning sun rose as Shen Yuan''s eyes fluttered open. His eyesnded on his mother Shen Yuxin''s peaceful face lying atop him. On either side, Huo Rong and Bing Rong began to awaken slowly, stretching their supple bodies. "Good morning," Shen Yuan said warmly. Shen Yuxin smiled lightly as she opened her eyes while starting to sit up straight. "Good morning, Yuan''er. Did you sleep well?" "Very well," he replied while looking at her in amusement as she sat up on top of him. He softly chuckled before grabbing her by the waist and letting her sit on the side before sitting up straight on the bed himself. Huo Rong yawned and grinned. "It''s been a while since we''ve all woken up together like this." Bing Rong nodded. "It feels just like old times." Shen Yuxin giggled and stood up from the bed. "Oh yeah, before I forget again, I have something for you, Yuan''er." She took out an intricately carved jade scroll that seemed to shimmer with a faint light. "This is the Heaven Rank space-rted technique that I mentioned before," she said, handing it to him. "It''s called the Void Traversing Art. This should be enough for you to cultivate for quite a long while." Shen Yuan took the scroll curiously. "Thank you, Mom. I will learn it after thepetition." She gently patted his head. "Learn it whenever you have the time. Space is a profound element, and mastering it will open many doors for you." Huo Rong stood up and stretched. "We should get going. There''s much to prepare for the uingpetition." Bing Rong smiled softly. "Yes, we don''t want to keep you from your training as well." Shen Yuan walked them to the door of the mansion. "We should have more days when we gather like this; it was fun to have such a peaceful time." Shen Yuxin yfully smirked. "I fear the number of people will increase by the next time we get together." Shen Yuan shook his head while chuckling softly. Shen Yuxin giggled and stepped towards him before embracing him briefly. "Take care, Yuan''er. Remember, if you need anything, just message us." He nodded. "I will. Safe travels." Huo Rong gave him a yful salute. "Don''t get into too much trouble without us." Bing Rong offered a gentle wave as they vanished from within the mansion. Once they were gone, Shen Yuan returned to his room and sat at his desk. He unrolled the jade scroll, and a subtle energy emanated from it. The Void Traversing Art was inscribed in elegant, bold characters that seemed to shift as he read them. "Spatial element is truly profound," he murmured. He focused his mind and began to absorb the information, feeling the vast principles of spatial maniption beingpressed in that tiny jade scroll. Before long, he stored the technique in his System Inventory for safekeeping and ease of ess. "With this added to my sixth dantian, I can begin to learn the Spatial Intent, but it''s still not the time yet. I need to wait until thepetition finishes so I can focus on it." [So, what is your n now? You sessfully managed to tell your family about the two of them, and got their approval as well from what I gathered.] Yue Lan''s curious voice sounded in his mind. "Well, let''s see. I''m already prepared for thepetition, and I have given that useful information to Qingyu as well. Looks like there is not much for us to do except wait for thepetition to start." Shen Yuan rubbed his chin as he stood up from his chair and walked towards the garden. Explore more stories at empire The cherry blossom stood tall in the center of the garden, where Shen Yuan slowly approached. [And after thepetition?] Yue Lan inquired. He smiled softly. "I intend to fulfill my promises to Han Qingyu and Wan Ling. We''ll explore the surrounding regions together, perhaps visit some ancient sites that could help the two of them in their cultivation." Chapter 248 Competition Start [Oho, quite the romantic one you are, huh? Good, you should spend more time with them since your family has already given the green signal.] "My family was never a problem; I knew they would agree as my choices are not that bad." He shrugged and went to sit beneath the cherry tree on the meditation mat. "Now, all there is left is to wait for thepetition." He rubbed his chin, thinking about something. "Hmm... might as well visit Ling Mei and the others in this time as well." He closed his eyes to meditate as the cherry blossoms fell peacefully around him, their gentle descent adding to the serene atmosphere. The days passed swiftly, and soon the day of the tournament arrived. The Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect was abuzz with activity as disciples gathered from all corners of the sect, their voices filling the air with excitement and anticipation. Back at Shen Yuan''s mansion, he slowly opened his eyes. "It''s finally here, huh." He rose from his mat while stretching his body. "Umm~ It will be a fun day," he mused aloud. [So much will happen today, especially since the entirepetition will end in a single day,] Yue Lan chimed in. "Of course, it will be chaotic; one of the biggest ns in the surrounding region is about to get dragged through the mud due to me," he smirked and said confidently. [So you n to demolish thepetition alone?] she inquired. Shen Yuan shook his head softly. "No fun in that. I will let the disciples of the sect handle them, and if everything goes ording to n, then there will be no need for me to fight," he exined. [But?] Yue Lan prompted. "But if they ask for reinforcements, then that leaves me with no choice but to crush their spirits right there." He revealed a cruel smile, his eyes shing momentarily. [Shen Yuan?] she questioned, a hint of concern in her voice. He paused as his mind swirled with thoughts. ''Did that dream affect me more than I initially thought?'' he pondered silently. "Ah, nothing, but this doesn''t change what I said; I need to teach them a good lesson. I will just consider this as a favor for the sect. I''m not sure whether they will ask for reinforcements or not, and neither is the sect master sure; that''s why she asked me for this," Shen Yuan said before walking towards the exit. [... I see. Well, just remember to be yourself, and enjoy yourself while you are here. The higher worlds won''t give you the leisure to y around so much,] Yue Lan advised. "Umu," Shen Yuan nodded his head and headed towards the ce where thepetition was supposed to take ce. Shen Yuan stood atop a hill, overlooking the grand arena of the sect, specially made for hosting such grand events. Dressed in his elegant robes adorned with subtle carvings of lightning and me, he exuded a calm yet intense presence. "Such a grand scene, it''s gotta be fun, right?" he muttered to himself while looking at the disciples entering the arena below. [Most of them are spectators though, only a scant few are there to participate,] Yue Lan noted. Your journey continues at empire "Well, no shit. Only ten disciples will bepeting in the arena," Shen Yuanughed before jumping down the cliff as he slid on the rough ground towards the arena, his movements swift and controlled. "HAHAHA!" Hisugh reverberated through the mountains as his feetnded on the ground with a boom so loud that even the disciples in the arena heard it, turning their heads in surprise. "Is that Shen Yuan?" one of the disciples squinted her eyes to see who jumped from such a high cliff. "Damn, what a badass entry," another girl pped while appreciating the bold disy. "Did he just jump down from the top of that hill?" one of the disciples felt her eye twitching at the absurdity of the entry. Shen Yuan didn''t mind any of them as he made his way towards the gate of the arena, his expression indifferent. "Hey! Senior Brother Shen Yuan!" A distant voice sounded as he turned his head to see Wan Ling hurrying towards him, apanied by Chen Yue, Ling Mei, and Zhao Lian. "You''re finally here!" Wan Ling eximed, her face lighting up with a bright smile that reached her eyes. Shen Yuan waved his hand with a small smile. "Am Ite? Has thepetition already started?" he asked. Ling Mei nodded, her eyes reflecting excitement. "Started? It''s nearing its end already! We''ve already won eight matches out of eight!" "Oh, that''s impressive," Shen Yuan replied with a satisfied nod; thepetition was going as he had expected. "Who''s fighting now?" he inquired further. Zhao Lian''s expression turned serious. "Our first Inner Sect disciple is currently battling Mu Chen of the Ironwood Mountain n," she informed him. Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Mu Chen, huh? So they brought out their top disciple in the eighth round? Looks like what I feared will happen," hemented thoughtfully. Chen Yue crossed her arms, a hint of concern in her voice. "Only Elder Yun Lan is present from our side. The rest of the elders didn''te. But the Ironwood Mountain n brought quite a few elders and even some of their stronger core elders," she said, her toneced with apprehension. Shen Yuan''s gaze turned yful. "Seems they''re trying to intimidate us poor disciples," he joked lightly. ''Whatever will happen if I invite my family over?'' he inwardly thought in amusement, a sly smile ying on his lips. Wan Ling sighed softly. "It appears that way. But Senior Sister is holding her own so far well enough against him," she added, her eyes filled with hope. "Well then, what are you guys doing outside? Let''s head inside to see how it is going for them," Shen Yuan suggested. They all agreed and made their way into the arena. The atmosphere inside was bubbling with excitement, with spectators watching the ongoing battle intently, their cheers and gasps filling the air. On the arena in the center, Mu Chen stood facing off against the first Inner Sect disciple, Liu Fei. Mu Chen exuded a formidable aura, his muscles taut and eyes sharp like a predator''s gaze fixed on its prey. He wielded a massive ironwood spear that gleamed ominously as if it came from hell itself. Liu Fei, on the other hand, held her ground with grace, her dual swords emitting a soft, radiant glow that contrasted sharply with Mu Chen''s dark presence. Shen Yuan took the four of them to the special area prepared for the disciples who would be participating; there they found seats to sit down, yet their eyes remained fixed on the fierce battle unfolding before them. Liu Feiunched herself forward, her swords dancing gracefully as she unleashed a flurry of attacks towards Mu Chen. Each strike was precise, filled with Light Intent aiming for his vital points, her movements fluid and determined. Mu Chen deflected her blows, his spear moving like a whirlwind, effortlessly parrying her attacks. "She''s struggling," Chen Yue whispered, worry evident in her tone. Chapter 249 Liu Fei vs Lei Ming "Mu Chen is stronger than we anticipated," Ling Mei added, her brows knitted together in concern. Shen Yuan observed silently. "Liu Fei is skilled; don''t underestimate her just yet. She has alsoprehended Light Intent, but Mu Chen''s defense is impable. She needs to find an opening for her offense to be effective." On the stage, Liu Fei leaped back, creating some distance. She began to channel her spiritual energy, a shimmering aura enveloping her. "Radiant Lotus Dance!" she softly dered, her swords leaving trails of radiant light as she spun toward Mu Chen. Mu Chen smirked, nting his spear firmly into the ground. "Ironwood Fortress!" A barrier formed around him, absorbing the impact of Liu Fei''s attack without budging from its ce. The collision sent shockwaves through the arena, dust swirling around them. As it settled, Mu Chen remained unscathed behind his barrier, while Liu Fei breathed heavily. "Is that all you''ve got?" Mu Chen taunted, his voice echoing throughout the arena. Liu Fei gritted her teeth. "I''m not done yet!" She sped her hands together, her aura intensifying. "Lotus Blooming Strike!" A giant lotus made of pure energy materialized above her, its petals unfolding gracefully before shooting toward Mu Chen with incredible speed. Mu Chen''s eyes narrowed. He raised his spear, channeling his energy. "Ironwood Barrier Breaker!" He thrust forward, his spear emitting a powerful force that collided with the lotus. An explosion rocked the arena, causing the spectators to gasp in astonishment. When the dust cleared, both fighters stood their ground, but Liu Fei was visibly strained, her energy waning. "She''s reaching her limit," Zhao Lian said softly, worry evident in her tone. Wan Ling sped her hands together. "Come on, Liu Fei!" Shen Yuan''s eyes focused intensely. "Her stamina is not enough to sustain those Heaven Rank Techniques; she needs to change her strategy." Mu Chen chuckled darkly. "Your techniques are impressive but futile against me. You don''t have the raw strength to break my defense." Liu Fei''s eyes shed with resolve. She took a deep breath, firmly standing her ground. "I didn''t want to use this, but you leave me no choice." She began to perform intricate hand seals, the air around her reverberating with energy. "Light Lotus Ascension!" A towering lotus formed beneath her feet, lifting her into the air. The petals glowed with ethereal Light Intent, and her swords merged into a single de radiating immense power. Mu Chen felt his heart sinking. "What is this?" Liu Fei descended swiftly, her de aimed straight at Mu Chen. The lotus petals spiraled around her, creating a vortex of energy. Mu Chen roared, channeling all his energy into his spear. "You are not the only one with an ultimate move! Ironwood Dragon Strike!" A colossal dragon-shaped energy burst forth, meeting Liu Fei''s attack head-on. The collision of their ultimate techniques created a blinding sh. The crowd shielded their eyes as a deafening boom echoed throughout the arena. When the dust settled, the arena floor was scarred and cracked. Liu Fei stood on one knee, her breathing ragged. Mu Chen was pushed back to the edge of the stage, his spear shattered and a trickle of blood running down his lip. He tried to stand straight up but stumbled. "Impossible..." Elder Yun Lan stood up, her voice clear with a hint of approval. "The winner is Liu Fei!" Cheers erupted from the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect disciples, relief and joy evident on their faces. "She did it!" Wan Ling eximed, pping her hands in delight. "That was truly an incredible technique, and even more impressive was she herself. Managing to perform that technique at her level is simply unheard of," Chen Yue added, her eyes shining with admiration. Your next chapter is on empire Shen Yuan smiled softly. "She gave it her all. That technique is only for the core disciples of the sect to train in, yet she has such high mastery over it. No wonder the sect made an exception and let an Inner Sect disciple like her learn it." Across the arena, the elders of the Ironwood Mountain n exchanged dark looks. One of the core elders stepped forward with an ugly expression on his face. Elder Yun Lan noticed and approached the center. "Hmm? Do you have any problem with my sect''s disciple?" she asked calmly. The Ironwood elder sneered. "It seems our disciple underestimated yours. However, it is too early to say who will win." "Sure, you still have one more disciple to send after all," she said before ncing back at the area where the participants were seated. Her face bloomed with a beautiful yet relieved smile as she looked at Shen Yuan, who nodded back to assure her that everything was fine. Just then, the Ironwood Mountain n''s elder raised his hand, and a young man stepped forward from their ranks. d in dark robes with silver ents, he exuded an eerie aura. His eyes held a mysterious glint that unsettled those who met his gaze. "This is Lei Ming, a Core Disciple from the Thunder Cloud Sect," the elder announced smugly. "He will represent us in the final match." A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd. The Thunder Cloud Sect was a formidable force boasting might parallel to the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect. It was one of the Divine Grade sects of the Eastern Deste Region. Shen Yuan''s eyes narrowed as he observed Lei Ming. There was something off about him¡ªa strange, almost eerie energy that he couldn''t quite ce his finger on. It wasn''t just arrogance in his gaze; it felt... unnatural, to say the least. Wan Ling leaned in close and softly asked, "Why is someone from the Thunder Cloud Sect participating? Isn''t thispetition between our sect and the Ironwood Mountain n?" Chen Yue frowned. "They must be desperate to win at any cost." Ling Mei whispered, "Be careful, Shen Yuan. Lei Ming is rumored to have mastered multiple Earth Grade lightning techniques, and he might even have a Heaven Grade technique up his sleeve." He nodded thoughtfully. "Worry not, I sense... something off about him as well." Elder Yun Lan''s eyes narrowed as she saw the foreign disciple participating, yet there was nothing she could do, as they had already discussed this happening with the sect leader. Sighing slightly, she said, "Very well," she dered. "Who will face Lei Ming?" Before anyone else could respond, Liu Fei, who hadn''t stepped down from the arena, stepped forward and said, "I will fight him." Elder Yun Lan looked at her with concern. "Liu Fei, you''ve already expended much of your energy. Are you sure?" She met the elder''s gaze firmly. "Yes, Elder. I can handle this." Shen Yuan felt uneasy at her request to fight, but to not belittle her, he let the fight continue as his gaze rested on her with approval. The arena was cleared, and Liu Fei faced off against Lei Ming. The atmosphere grew tense as the crowd watched intently, awaiting the intense battle that would follow. Lei Ming smirked arrogantly. "You should have stepped down. This won''t end well for you." Liu Fei drew her swords, their des shimmering with residual light energy. "We''ll see about that." The referee signaled the start of the match. Chapter 250 Shen Yuan vs Lei Ming Liu Fei initiated the attack, her movements swift as she executed a series of precise strikes. Her swords weaved patterns of light as she aimed for Lei Ming''s vital points. Lei Ming barely moved, effortlessly dodging her attacks with minimal motion. "Too slow," he taunted, his eyes shing with disdain. Frustration flickered across Liu Fei''s face. Gathering her remaining strength, she unleashed the "Radiant Lotus Dance," her most refined technique. Petals of light spiraled toward Lei Ming, each one carrying radiant energy. He yawned mockingly. "Let me show you real power." Raising his hand, Lei Ming summoned crackling arcs of lightning. "Thunderbolt Chain!" A searing bolt of lightning shot toward Liu Fei. She attempted to evade the attack, but the lightning was far too fast for her to react. The bolt struck her side, sending her sprawling across the arena floor. Gasps erupted from the spectators. Wan Ling sped her hands to her chest. "Senior Sister!" Struggling, Liu Fei pushed herself up. Her determination remained unwavering; she prepared to continue the fight. Lei Ming shook his head. "Stubbornness will be the end of you." Read exclusive chapters at empire He extended both hands upward. "Thunder Forming Art!" Dark clouds swirled above the arena, thunder rumbling ominously. From the churning skies, a barrage of lightning bolts rained down toward Liu Fei. With limited options, she crossed her swords in front of her. "Light Barrier!" A shield of radiant energy formed around her, but the relentless assault of the thunder overwhelmed her defenses. The barrier shattered, and she was thrown backward,nding hard on the ground. Elder Yun Lan immediately stepped forward. "This match is over! Lei Ming is the victor." Disciples rushed to attend to Liu Fei. Lei Ming scoffed, turning his disdainful gaze toward the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect''s side. "Is there no one worthy enough to fight with me?" Shen Yuan''s eyes shed with suppressed anger. He stepped forward, his voice steady. "No need to bark here; I will take care of you." The crowd buzzed with excitement. Lei Ming assessed him with a cold smirk. "Anothermb to the ughter?" Elder Yun Lan ced a hand on Shen Yuan''s shoulder as he passed. "Be cautious. He is much stronger than any of the ones we have faced before." He gave a reassuring nod. "I will, Elder." Stepping into the arena, Shen Yuan faced Lei Ming. The atmosphere became heavy with tension. The referee looked between them before signaling the start of the match. Without warning, Lei Mingunched his attack. "Thunderbolt Chain!" Multiple lightning bolts arced toward Shen Yuan, each one charged with lethal intent. Shen Yuan remained calm, merely looking at the advancing attack, and at thest moment, he activated "Thunderbolt sh Step," his form dissolving into a sh of lightning. He reappeared a short distance away, unscathed. Lei Ming raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You can use lightning movement techniques as well?" "You''re not the only one skilled in lightning arts," Shen Yuan replied with a smirk. He retaliated with "Heavenly Thunder Palm," his palm radiating concentrated lightning Qi as he thrust it toward Lei Ming. Lei Ming met the strike head-on with his own thunder art, their energies shing violently midair. Sparks flew as the force of their confrontation sent ripples through the arena. "A worthy foe," Lei Ming admitted, a hint of excitement evident in his tone. "But let''s see how you handle this." He leaped into the air, his hands weavingplex signs. "Thunder Forming Art!" The sky darkened once more as thunderclouds gathered. This time, Lei Ming intensified the thunder, aiming to overwhelm Shen Yuan with sheer power. Shen Yuan looked up unfazed. "Two can y at that game." He formed his own hand signs. "Storm Summoning Art!" The clouds above responded to his call, merging with Lei Ming''s storm. Lightning shed erratically as the two storms vied for dominance. The audience watched in awe as the entire sky above the arena became a battleground of elemental forces. Lei Ming''s eyes narrowed. "You''re meddling with my storm?" Shen Yuan smirked. "I thought we could make things more interesting." "Arrogant fool!" Lei Ming snarled. "Feel the wrath of the heavens! Heavenly Thunderfall!" A massive bolt of lightning, thicker than any before, descended toward Shen Yuan with destructive intent. Shen Yuan focused intensely; time seemed to slow down as he sensed the immense energy. At that moment, a realization struck him like a thunderbolt. The elements around him resonated with his entire being, and he felt a deeper connection to the lightning around him¡ªhe hadprehended Level 1 Thunder Intent. His eyes shimmered with electric light. "About damn time. Let''s see how you handle true thunder." He raised his hand skyward. "Lightning Barrier!" A dome of pure lightning energy formed around him, absorbing the colossal bolt. The barrier remained standing, the absorbed energy coursing through him. Lei Ming stared in disbelief. "That''s impossible!" Shen Yuan seized the moment. He transformed the absorbed energy into his next attack. Switching weapons, he drew a slender sword from his storage ring. The de hummed with electric arcs. "Thunder God''s de!" He dashed forward using "Thunderbolt sh Step," appearing directly in front of Lei Ming. With a swift sh, he unleashed a crescent of concentrated lightning. Lei Ming hastily raised his arms to defend, but the attack sliced through his guard, sending him reeling backward. Fury contorted Lei Ming''s features as his face turned red. "I won''t lose to you!" He began to channel a dangerous amount of energy, his body crackling violently. "I''ll obliterate you! Forbidden Technique: Wrath of Thunder!" Elder Yun Lan''s eyes widened. "He''s risking self-destruction!" Shen Yuan smirked. "Hah! Pathetic. Delusional bitch, you think your life is equal to mine?" The expressions of the Ironwood Mountain n elders turned ugly as they began to panic about the fate of their n if anything happened to Lei Ming. "Shit, shit, shit! How will we exin this to the Thunder Cloud Sect?" one of the elders cursed, looking worriedly at Lei Ming. Shen Yuan didn''t bother to think much as he began harnessing his Thunder Intent. He brought out his Crimson Devourer sword and began charging it with thunder. BOOM!! Thunder rumbled over the skies as Shen Yuan''s aura rapidly began to increase. Even the berserk energy of Lei Ming''s self-destruction seemed tamepared to the monstrous energy that Shen Yuan was emitting. "Heaven and Earth Severance: Thunder Cleaving," he softly muttered as his hand slowly rose. All the thunder flying around rapidly began to gather around his sword. Lei Ming felt his heart stop; his legs began to tremble as the might of this attack seemed to surpass anything he had faced before. "Impossible! How can he wield such power?" Lei Ming stammered, fear evident in his eyes. Elder Yun Lan watched with a mix of awe and concern, worried he might be overexerting himself like Lei Ming. "Shen Yuan, be cautious!" she called out. Shen Yuan''s gaze disdainfully looked at Lei Ming. "Anyst words?" he asked. He swung his sword downward, releasing a colossal arc of concentrated lightning energy that tore through the air, heading straight for Lei Ming. Lei Ming tried to muster his remaining strength, channeling all his energy into a desperate defense. "Thunder Cloud Shield!" he screamed, forming a barrier of crackling electricity around himself. Chapter 251 Ending of the Competition The two forces collided with an earth-shattering impact. The arena was engulfed in a blinding light as the sheer power of the sh sent shockwaves rippling outward toward the sect. The mountains surrounding the arena trembled, and spectators raised their own defenses to protect themselves from the rumbling energy waves. When the dust finally subsided, a deep silence fell over the arena. The ground where Lei Ming had stood was scorched and cracked. His bodyy on the ground, his protective barrierpletely shattered, his robes torn and burned. His body twitched from the residual thunder. Shen Yuan stood straight with a calm smile on his face, his aura slowly calming as the residual lightning Qi dissipated from his body. He sheathed his Crimson Devourer while saying, "See? I took back my attack; otherwise, this arena would have been destroyed, and his body... well, let''s just say he will be one with thunder." Elder Yun Lan stepped forward. "The winner is Shen Yuan!" she announced, her voice echoing even outside the arena. Cheers erupted from the disciples of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect. Each one of them was more excited than thest. "SENIOR BROTHER, I LOVE YOU!!" one disciple screamed from the viewing stands. Enjoy new stories from empire Other disciples soon followed as they all showed their appreciation for saving the reputation of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect. Wan Ling and the others rushed to the edge of the arena, their faces filled with relief and excitement. They hurried to meet Shen Yuan as he descended from the stage. "You were amazing!" Wan Ling eximed, her eyes shining with admiration. Chen Yue shook her head in disbelief. "Comprehending Thunder Intent mid-battle... that''s absurd!" Ling Mei smiled warmly. "You truly are exceptional." Shen Yuan looked at Ling Mei with a yful smile. "Weren''t you going to challenge me once I entered the Inner Sect?" Ling Mei''s face turned red as she lowered her head. "I was naive back then." "Haha, what are you talking about? It''s not even been a few months," Shen Yuan shook his head with augh. "But what was that technique that you used? Heaven and Earth Severance: Thunder Cleaving," Zhao Lian tilted her head and asked. "That''s my ultimate technique." Shen Yuan smiled mysteriously and didn''t exin further. Chen Yue looked at him in confusion. "Then how were you able to take back that attack?" Shen Yuan leaned towards her and softly whispered in her ear, "That''s because I held back." She felt her face turning red due to his close proximity, but she didn''t step back and only nodded her head. The rest of the girls giggled, looking at her bashful expression. "Anyways, any of you know where Qingyu went? I haven''t seen her since I came here," he asked while ncing around. The girls looked at each other before Wan Ling took a step forward and said, "Umm... she went back to recover since she had utilized a lot of her energy during the battle." "Oh, that''s good. I thought she might have been injured by one of them." Shen Yuan heaved a sigh and nced back to see Elder Yun Lan walking towards the elders of the Ironwood Mountain n. "No no, you worry too much, Senior Brother. She alone won two matches; her performance was truly exceptional," Chen Yue smiled while saying. "Good." Shen Yuan smiled and turned around to see what Elder Yun Lan would say to them. Meanwhile, the Ironwood elder red venomously at them. "This isn''t the end," he spat before turning to help Lei Ming. Elder Yun Lan approached them; her expression remained stern. "Your disciple vited the rules by attempting a forbidden technique. Be grateful that he is even alive." The elder gritted his teeth but couldn''te up with a retort, so he took his disciples away in defeat. As the crowd continued the celebrations, Shen Yuan frowned while looking at the charred body of Lei Ming. He couldn''t shake the feeling that something was wrong with Lei Ming, or rather, with his aura¡ªit was ominous. [You sensed it too, didn''t you?] Yue Lan''s voice echoed in his mind. ''Yes,'' he replied inwardly. ''I just hope it''s not what I''m thinking of.'' [I fear what you don''t want to happen will happen.] He felt his eye twitching. ''Don''t jinx it.'' Wan Ling noticed his lost expression. "Is everything okay?" He turned to her with a reassuring smile. "Yeah, just wondering about Qingyu." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "You should head back and look after her then." He appreciated her concern. "Thank you. Perhaps I will head back to visit her after everything here is settled." She nodded her head. Shen Yuan nced back at Lei Ming onest time, but his body froze as he saw the blood moving and forming letters on the ground: ''The Festival¡ª'' But before he could read further, the word dissipated as the elder took away Lei Ming. Shen Yuan felt his heart sinking. ''It''s that abyssal bastard!'' [I fear so; looks like he won''t be leaving you alone.] ''I will need to look at some old books on the history of the continent to figure out what these beings are,'' he silently thought. Elder Yun Lan gathered the disciples. "Today, we have defended our honor and demonstrated our strength. Well done, everyone. Let us return to the sect and continue to strive for excellence." As they made their way back, the group was filled with chatter andughter. Yet, Shen Yuan remained silent as he knew something farrger than he had thought wasing soon. He left the group and headed back toward the mansion. [You don''t need to worry so much right now, though. I can feel that the world barrier is still strong, so an invasion is pretty much impossible from a different world at this time.] "Hmm... then I will just go ahead ording to my ns. I should go to a region rich with Fire Qi to enhance my talent to at least King Grade to match my Thunder Talent," he mused, rubbing his chin. With that in mind, Shen Yuan decided to check on Han Qingyu. He made his way through the various peaks of the sect toward her residence. The sun was high in the sky, casting a golden hue over the buildings and gardens. Upon reaching Han Qingyu''s courtyard, he noticed the delicate flowers that blossomed beautifully at the entrance. He knocked gently on the wooden door. A momentter, the door opened to reveal Han Qingyu, her eyes lighting up at the sight of him. "Brother Shen Yuan! What brings you here?" she asked with a soft smile. "I came to see how you were doing after thepetition. I heard you expended a lot of energy," he replied with a warm smile. She stepped aside to let him in. "Please,e in. I''m feeling much better now." He entered the mansion as they both walked toward her cozy sitting room. They took seats by a table set near a window overlooking a tranquil pond. "You really outdid yourself this time," he remarked. "Winning two matches on your own is no small feat." Han Qingyu blushed lightly. "Thank you, but I couldn''t have done it without the information you provided." Chapter 252 Returning to the Mansion He waved a hand dismissively. "You give me too much credit. That information alone wouldn''t have been enough for you to win if you didn''t have the strength in the first ce." She poured them both cups of fragrant tea. "Still, it would have been problematic for me to win against a single one of them without your help, much less win against two of them." They sipped their tea infortable silence for a moment, the peaceful atmosphere easing any lingering tensions from the day''s events. After a while, Han Qingyu spoke again. "You seem to be quite lost, does something happen in thepetition after I left?" Shen Yuan hesitated briefly before answering. "It''s just... there are some unsettling developments that I need to look into. But nothing for you to worry about." She looked at him with concern. "If there''s anything I can do to help, please let me know." He smiled appreciatively. "I will. For now, let''s not dwell on uncertainties." They spent the next few hours idle chatting, slowly progressing their rtionship. Laughter and thoughtful conversation filled the room as the afternoon turned to evening. As the sky outside deepened into hues of orange and purple, Shen Yuan stood up. "I should probably get going. It''s gettingte." Han Qingyu rose as well. "Thank you for visiting me. It was wonderful spending time together." He nodded. "I enjoyed it too. And as we discussed it before, spending more time is ideal." She walked him to the door. "Take care of yourself." "You too," he replied, giving her a gentle smile before departing. On his way back to his mansion, Shen Yuan contemted the pleasant time he''d spent with Han Qingyu. Their rtionship was progressing smoothly so far. As he approached his mansion, he was surprised to see a familiar figure waiting by the entrance. Shen Yuxin stood gracefully under the soft glow ofnterns. "Mom," he called out, a hint of surprise in his voice. "What brings you here?" She turned around to face him, her eyes filled with warmth, "Can''t Ie to visit my dear son?" Shen Yuan shook his head, "Of course, you can," he said beforeing forward and gave her a hug, "You are always wee. Let''s head inside." "Hehe, looks like my son knows how to take care of his mother." Shen Yuxin giggled softly before heading inside with him. Shen Yuan led Shen Yuxin inside, with his arm on her waist as they walked side by side through the quiet corridors of the mansion. The soft glow of thenterns illuminated the path as the elegant furnishings enhanced the overall atmosphere. As they reached Shen Yuan''s room. He gestured towards the bed, "Here, make yourself home, Mom." I''ll make us some tea." Shen Yuxin yfully smiled as she went towards the bed andy down on it, her hand on her cheek as she saw Shen Yuan looking at her body. "Liking what you are seeing?" She yfully asked before lightly tilting her body to give him more of a view of her bountiful breasts. "Of course, how can I not like my mom''s body? Haha," Shen Yuan shamelessly replied before heading towards the table on the side and taking out a tea set. Stay updated through empire Shen Yuxin saw him preparing tea with gentle eyes as she said, "You really have grown up, huh? I remember when you couldn''t even boil water, much less make tea." He chuckled, taking out the tea leaves before boiling the water. "I had to learn, didn''t I? You and the others spoiled me too much back then." She watched him as he prepared the tea, her eyes softening with affection. "Well, I don''t regret it. Seeing you grow into such a capable man fills me with pride." He returned with a tray holding two cups of fragrant tea, cing it on the bed between them before sitting down himself. He handed her a cup before they both sat inforting silence. "Thank you," she said softly, her gaze locking with his for a moment before she sipped the tea. Shen Yuan leaned back, his eyes observing her. "We finally have alone time after thepetition, I was wondering when you will visit me." Shen Yuxin set her cup down and smiled warmly. "I thought the same, so I decided to visit you tonight. It''s been too long since we''ve spent time alone." "Haha, it''s not been that long, we spent the entire night alone like a week ago." Shen Yuan smiled before finishing his tea and cing the cup back on the tray. "But without any action so it doesn''t count." Shen Yuxin seductively licked her lips and ced her cup down own the tray before putting it in her storage ring. Shen Yuan smirked seeing her lustful gaze, "Because my Breakthrough was imminent, I couldn''t take any more of your Yin Qi." "What about now?" She stretched her bodyzily, exposing her curved through the slit dress she was wearing. Shen Yuan''s gaze paused on her body, despite trying to remain calm, he felt a familiar heat rising within him. Shen Yuan reached out, taking her hand in his. "I''ve missed this," he softly whispered. "Just the two of us, without any distractions." Her cheeks flushed faintly, and she squeezed his hand. "I''ve missed it too, Yuan''er. Now we finally have time to ourselves." He smirked. "Of course we have time now, we have all the time we need. After all, I''m not a boy anymore who need to train all the time." Sheughed softly, the sound like a melody. "No, you''re not. You''re a man now¡ªa strong, capable man who makes his mother very proud." Their eyes met again, the warmth between them turning more intense. Shen Yuan leaned forward slightly, his voice low and teasing. "And yet, I still need you, Mom." Shen Yuxin felt her breath stopping, her expression softening further. She cupped his cheek, her thumb brushing lightly against his skin. "You''ll always have me, Yuan''er. No matter what." "Mmm," Shen Yuan reached up, cing his hand over hers, holding it against his cheek. "That''s what I want." Shen Yuxin leaned closer, closing her eyes she softly nted a wet kiss on Shen Yuan''s lips. She stopped after a kiss as she looked at him with a yful smile, "Hmm¡­ It''s been so long since we took a bath together, do you want to bath with me like good old times?" Shen Yuan''s eyes shone in excitement, "For sure, let''s go. This mansion has quite a big bathroom." Shen Yuxin stepped into the spacious bathroom, the humidity from the shower already causing a light sheen of sweat to form on her skin. She turned to face Shen Yuan, a sly smile ying on her lips as she slowly began to unbutton her dress. "Like old times, hmm?" she purred, letting the garment slip from her shoulders and pool at her feet. She stood before him, d only in acy ck bra and panties that left little to the imagination. Shen Yuan''s eyes shed with desire as he drank in the sight of her, his gaze roaming over every curve and valley of her body. He stepped forward, his handsing up to cup her face, his thumbs brushing over her cheekbones. Chapter 253 Bathing [R18] "You''re so beautiful, Mom," he murmured, his voice low and rough with emotion. "I''ve missed this... missed you." Shen Yuxin leaned into his touch, her eyes fluttering closed as she savored the feel of his skin against hers. "I''ve missed you too, my darling son. More than you know." She reached behind her, unsping her bra and letting it fall on the floor. Her breasts spilled free, full and heavy, the pink nipples already hardening in the steamy air of the bathroom. Shen Yuan groaned, his handsing up to cup the soft globes, his fingers kneading the soft flesh. He lowered his head, his mouthtching onto one pert nipple, sucking and nibbling until Shen Yuxin gasped, arching into his touch as waves of pleasure coursed through her body. Her hands came up to tangle in his hair, holding him close as hevished attention on her sensitive breasts. "Yuan''er," she breathed, her voice filled with desire. "Touch me, please. I need to feel your hands on me." Shen Yuan smirked andplied, his hands sliding down her sides, over the slope of her hips, beforeing to rest on the curve of her ass. He squeezed the firm flesh, reveling in the way she pressed herself against him, seeking more contact. He broke away from her breasts, trailing kisses down her stomach, his tongue dipping into her navel before continuing lower. Shen Yuxin''s breath hitched as he nudged aside her panties, exposing her glistening pussy to his hungry gaze. "Heh, you''re already so wet for me, Mom." he murmured, his voice husky with arousal. "I can''t wait to taste you." Without further waiting, he lowered his head, his tongue delving between her slick folds, licking her essence. Shen Yuxin cried out, her hands fisting in his hair as she ground herself against his face, desperate for more. He worked her mercilessly, his tongue stroking her clit, his lips sucking and nibbling until she was a writhing mess of sensation. Her thighs trembled, her stomach muscles clenching as she teetered on the edge of release. "Please, Yuan''er," she begged, her voice ragged with need. "I can''t take it anymore. I need you inside me." With a final, lingering lick, Shen Yuan pulled away, rising to his feet. He quickly shed his own clothing, his erect cock springing free, hard and ready. He positioned himself at her entrance, the head of his cock nudging against her slick folds. "Are you ready, Mother?" he asked, his voice low and rough with anticipation. Shen Yuxin nodded, her eyes zed with desire. "Yes, my darling. Make love to me." Shen Yuan''s eyes locked with Shen Yuxin''s as he slowly pushed forward, his thick shaft parting her slick folds and sliding deep inside her weing pussy. Your journey continues with empire They both moaned at the exquisite sensation, their bodies fitting together like two puzzle pieces. "Oh, Yuan''er," Shen Yuxin gasped, her nails digging into his shoulders. "You feel so good inside me." Shen Yuan groaned, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he began to move. His hips rocked against hers, his hard dick stroking her inner walls with each thrust. The sound of their bodies meeting filled the steamy bathroom, echoing off the tiled walls. He lifted her leg, hooking it over his hip as he drove deeper, hitting that sweet spot within her that made her see stars. Shen Yuxin''s head fell back, her mouth open in a silent scream of ecstasy as pleasure consumed her. "That''s it, Mother," Shen Yuan panted, his movements bing more urgent. "Take all of me. Let me fill you up." Shen Yuxin nodded with an excited smile, her mind lost to the sensations coursing through her. Every thrust sent shockwaves of pleasure radiating through her body, building and building until she thought she might shatter. She clung to him, her nails raking down his back as she urged him on. "Harder, Yuan''er. Please, I need more." Shen Yuan obliged, his hips snapping against hers with renewed vigor. The force of his thrusts rocked her body, her breasts bouncing with each impact. Water sshed around them, mingling with the sweat on their skin. "I''m close, Mother," Shen Yuan grunted, his face contorted with pleasure. "Come with me. I want to feel your cum all over me." Shen Yuxin cried out, her body tensing as the wave of her orgasm crashed over her. Her inner walls mped down around Shen Yuan''s shaft, milking himto the veryst drop. "Yuan''er!" she screamed, her voice echoing off the bathroom walls. "I''ming!" Her body convulsed, her hips bucking wildly as the pleasure consumed her. She clung to Shen Yuan, her nails leaving crescent-shaped indents in his skin as she rode out the intense sensations. Shen Yuan groaned, his own release triggered by the feeling of Shen Yuxin''s tight heat pulsing around him. He buried himself deep inside her, his cock twitching as he emptied himself within her weing depths. They clung to each other, their bodies shaking with the force of their shared climax. Slowly, they came down from their high pleasure, their breathing gradually returning to normal. Shen Yuan pulled out, his softening member slipping from Shen Yuxin''s well-used folds. He embraced her in his arms, holding her close as the warm water cascaded over their bodies. "That was amazing, Mom," he murmured, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. "I''ve missed this... being with you like this." Shen Yuxin smiled, nuzzling into his chest. "I''ve missed it too, my darling. You always know just how to satisfy me. And its been so long since we have done this." They stayed like that for a while longer, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking. Eventually, they reluctantly turned off the water and stepped out of the water falling down from the formation, toweling each other dry. As they dressed, Shen Yuan couldn''t help but steal nces at Shen Yuxin''s voluptuous figure, her skin still flushed from their passionate encounter. He felt a stirring of desire once more, but he knew they needed to restrain themselves. There would be plenty of opportunities for more intimacy in the future. "This has really refreshed me," Shen Yuan sighed and said as the two of them stepped outside the bathroom in fresh robes. "Hehe, haven''t you been enjoying Huo Rong and Bing Rong? Looks like you guys already consummated your rtionship." Shen Yuxin softly giggled following after him towards his bedroom. Shen Yuan gently smiled, "Of course, we had already promised to each other, it was just not the right time back then. But now that we are back in the sect, we have all the free time to do it." "Looks like you enjoyed yourself quite a bit with the two of them." She yfully remarked. "You should ask them about this, haha, their flustered expression will be quite cute." Heughed while walking ahead. [Heh, she is not a bit jealous about you being with others, looks like she wholeheartedly wants you to form a harem with the finestdies. Looks like you have your work cut out for you] ''Don''t interrupt my time with her, shoo shoo.'' He yfully shooed her away as the two of them entered his bedroom. Chapter 254 Departure "Hehe, I will ask themter when I meet up with them." Shen Yuxin softly giggled and said. They soon entered the bedroom andy down on the bed. "So, how was thepetition?" She gently asked while lying beside him. Shen Yuan turned around a little and pulled her into a hug before saying, "Haha it was fun, I enjoyed thrashing those morons from the Ironwood Mountain Sect." "As long as you had fun." She gently smiled. "But that Lei Ming... something was off about him." He frowned as he mentioned him. Shen Yuxin slightly raised her head and looked at him, "Hmm? That Thunder Cloud Sect disciple? What was wrong with him?" He paused and thought for a moment before lightly asking, "Mom, do you know about beings who look like they came straight out of the Abyss?" Shen Yuxin''s eyes turned serious as she looked at him, "Where did you see one?" Shen Yuan looked at her for a second before saying, "I met one during the Mystique Realm Trial, there was a crack in the Mystique Realm that led straight to the Abyssal Being. There I met with it." She thought for a second before softly muttering, "Abyssal beings... so were the legends true? Are theying back for an Epoch War?" "Hmm? What are you talking about, Mom?" He asked as he felt his curiosity increasing at her words. She raised her head and looked straight into his eyes, hesitation clear in her gaze as she struggled with whether to tell him about this or not. In the end, she sighed and said, "In my hometown, there are various rumors about these so-called Abyssal Beings, but all the legends are mere fairytales as there is no proof of them. Some say they are the eternal scourge of existence, while others say they are hellish monsters released from hell to rain down destruction upon the myriad worlds." "But one thing is certain, their return is not something we should be happy about." Shen Yuxin said with a serious expression on her face. Shen Yuan frowned his eyebrows as the situation seemed to be more serious than he had expected. "Are you scared, Yuan''er?" She softly asked. He raised an eyebrow, "Scared? No, not at all. In fact, I''m feeling excited, finally, there will be worthy opponents for me to face." "Haha good, that''s my son." Shen Yuxin giggled softly while ruffling his hair. Shen Yuan smiled, but deep within, he began thinking of making ns for the return of the Abyssal Beings. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, but I''ll be going away for some days, I need to give this information to my hometown as well so they can start the preparations." She said. "Hmm? Well, that''s good as well, better to start making preparations early." He nodded his head. "Sigh, and here I was thinking of taking you to the Asura Bloonds for training." She sighed as if she suffered a great loss. Shen Yuan felt his eye twitching at the mention of the Asura Bloonds. He had heard of this name before¡ªa deste, cursednd soaked in the blood of countless cultivators who had waged war there. This war-torn area is where the most brutal battles of the continent take ce. Divided into four tiers¡ªOuter Layer, Inner Layer, Core Layer, Asura Hell¡ªeachyer being increasingly harder to traverse as the Blood Miasma bes denser and the curse of the Asura takes hold of cultivators. The thought of training there didn''t scare him, but it definitely wasn''t how he envisioned his next step in cultivation. "Mom," he began, exhaling softly, "why do I get the feeling you enjoy watching me suffer?" Shen Yuxin softly giggled, her sapphire eyes sparkling with amusement. "What kind of mother would I be if I didn''t prepare my son for the worst? You think the Abyssal Beings will take it easy on you?" "Probably not," Shen Yuan admitted with a wry smile on his face, "but still, you could''ve started me off with something a little less... murderous. Like the Draconic Venom Marsh. That ce can help me build my poison immunity, and I might even find the Inheritance of the Poison Dragon that fell there." "Hmm, you can go to the Void Burning Volcano Zone to look for the Inheritance of the Golden Crows." Shen Yuxin lightly suggested. He shook his head, leaning back into the pillows and pulling her closer. "You''ve got a twisted sense of parenting, you know that?" "Mm, maybe," she replied, resting her head against his chest. "But I know you''lle back stronger than ever, no matter what challenges are thrown at you." He gently ced a kiss on her forehead before softly muttering, "Goodnight, Mom." She smiled at him, her heart swelling with affection. "Goodnight, Yuan''er," she whispered. In the quiet of the room, with the faint glow of moonlight filtering through the window, mother and son drifted off to sleep peacefully. ... The moon went down as the sun rose high in the sky, Shen Yuan''s eyes fluttered open as he saw Shen Yuxin peacefully sleeping beside him. As if sensing his gaze, she slowly opened her eyes, slowly raising her head as she looked into Shen Yuan''s eyes, "Good morning, Yuan''er." "Good morning, Mom." Shen Yuan smiled softly and said. She sat up slowly, stretching gracefully as the morning sunlight fell on her beautiful figure, casting a golden glow on her white hair, "Mmm~ It''s already morning, time really passes faster when I''m with you." Shen Yuan stared at her with mesmerized eyes, but he soon snapped out of his thoughts and said with a soft smile, "I feel the same, otherwise I''m mostly bored." Shen Yuxin reached for his hand, her expression growing serious. "I''ll be leaving today to return to my hometown. The news about the Abyss needs to be delivered immediately." He nodded, his expression turning serious as well. "The Abyssal Beings won''t stay idle for long. It''s better for the major ns to prepare. Are you sure you''ll be all right traveling alone?" Her lips curled into a confident smirk. "Do you really think anyone in this Continent can harm me? Besides, I''ll use one of my personal teleportation arrays. It''ll be a quick journey." Shen Yuan rxed slightly, though a part of him still felt uneasy about her going alone. "All right, but let me know if anything happens." She leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. "I will. And you, stay safe. Don''t push yourself too hard in the Dual Cultivation Pagoda. The Void Transversing Art isn''t something that can be learned overnight." "Don''t worry so much, I will take care of myself while practicing it, I''m not a kid anymore." he reassured her, though his eyes sparkled with excitement as he thought of finally mastering a space technique. Shen Yuxin stood up from the bed, her movements as graceful as ever. She dressed quickly, her robes flowing around her like water. Before leaving, she turned to him onest time. "Hehe, If you find some more fitting partners for yourself then you have my permission to take them before someone else beats you to the game." Chapter 255 Void Transversing Art He softly chuckled and hugged her tightly. "I will, Mom. And thank you for everything." With a final smile, her figure disappeared into a sh of light as she headed toward her hometown. Shen Yuan stood at the gate, looking at the ce where she was standing just a few seconds ago. "Well, looks like I will be spending quite a long time in the Dual Cultivation Chamber next." He said softly before donning his robes and heading towards the cherry blossom tree. [You can choose to, you know, just not cultivate that technique and learnter if you don''t wanna cultivate right now.] Yue Lan''szy voice echoed in his mind. "That''s out of the question, I will cultivate the technique, as I need all the possible ways to fight those abyssal bastards." His eyes shed with murderous intent as he remembered that Abyssal Being. [Hehe, don''t get your face dragged through the mud once again.] Yue Lan teased softly. "Tsk, my cultivation base was way weaker than my opponent, what else do you think I could have done in that situation? I consider it an achievement that I was able to run away alive." Shen Yuan shook his head and reached below the cherry blossom tree. [That is true as well. He was the strongest enemy that you have encountered until now. But you know, normally people face despair when they are inherently so inferior to their opponent, but you... you felt none of that.] "Hmm... Looks like I''m just built different." Shen Yuan smirked as he sat on the table before taking out a gourd of wine. [Oh fuck off. In my opinion, it''s due to your bloodline. It probably didn''t consider that Abyssal Being a threat, so it directly removed all the negative emotions before they could take root in your heart, and your Dao Heart helped as well.] "Minor details." He uncorked the gourd before pouring it down his throat. Gulp Gulp [Tsk, anyways, how long are you nning to go into seclusion to train with the Void Transversing Art this time?] He finished the gourd and put it back in his storage ring, "Hmm, I will break through to the Origin Core Creation Realm with this art and the First Level of Space Intent at the very least." [So you wanna enter seclusion now?] He gazed outside of his mansion, looking in the direction of Han Qingyu and Wan Ling''s mansion before nodding his head, "Yes, same old 1:30 ratio time dtion. I should be out in a few days at max." [Best of luck!] Yue Lan said before teleporting Shen Yuan to the Dual Cultivation Chamber. ... "And here I am back." He softly muttered as the familiar training room of the Dual Cultivation Chamber came into his view. Taking a deep breath, he moved towards the center of the room where a meditation mat was ced for him to concentrate. There was also a Qi Gathering Array carved at the bottom of it to help him in cultivation. "This ce is really nice for cultivating peacefully," he softly muttered as he sat down. [You''re wee, this ce is created specially so you can cultivate in peace.] "Yeah, yeah," he replied, closing his eyes to focus. "Just keep that mouth of yours closed when I''m focusing. The Void Transversing Art isn''t something I can train with you heckling me every second." [Oh, I know how delicate this technique can be. Don''t worry, I''ll only bother you if you''re about to blow yourself up,] She teased, though her tone had softened as if reassuring him. He exhaled slowly, calming his mind. The familiar hum of the Qi Gathering Array beneath him resonated with his own Qi, amplifying the flow throughout his body as the entire chamber hummed with energy. Shen Yuan inhaled deeply, allowing the ambient Spiritual Qi to flow through his meridians. As he guided the Qi towards his Sixth Dantian. The Void Transversing Art was no trifling matter, it was a technique incorporating one of the strongest elements avable in the Mortal ne. Slowly, he began to funnel the Spiritual Qi into his Sixth Dantian, it swirled like a vortex within him. "This is the hard part," Shen Yuan muttered softly. [No need to get nervous now, channel the energy gently without losing control or else even I won''t be able to find all of your pieces through various spaces.] Shen Yuan listened to her words, yet his focus remained unwavering. As the Spiritual Qi condensed in his Sixth Dantian, he visualized the rune¡ªan intricate, otherworldly design that glowed faintly in his mind. Slowly, deliberately, he began to etch the rune using threads of Spiritual Qi. Each stroke of the rune required precision and control. His breathing deepened as he carved the delicate lines within the dantian, the intricate symbol beginning to take shape while exuding Spatial Waves. As the runes nearedpletion, the energy from the chamber seemed to be inadequate, he slightly frowned his brows before utilizing the Qi in his Main Dantian to extract the Qi from the Primordial Yins of his wives. The flow of the Qi became stable again as he began to weave the rune precisely once again. With the final stroke of the runepleted, a surge of energy erupted from his Sixth Dantian. The rune began devouring the Spiritual Qi roaming in the Sixth Dantian and began changing the basic essence of his Qi to something more, something higher. It was Spatial Qi. Shen Yuan''s body shivered as the newly formed Spatial Qi coursed through his meridians, its unfamiliar power washing over his physique. Yet he didn''t open his eyes as he could feel the energy slowly changing his own body. He focused and realized something. [Ding!] [Congrattions, Host, for acquiring Mid Grade Minor Tier Talent.] He exhaled while slowly opening his eyes. [Well done, you actually acquired Spatial Talent, though the grade¡­] "I can''t be bothered with you." He shook his head and closed his eyes before he began focusing on the minute changes happening in his body. As the Spatial Qi cleansed his body, a subtle change became apparent. His Spatial Awareness had been increased to a new height, if his perception of space was as sharp as this before then he would have long sinceprehended Space Intent. Shen Yuan opened his eyes, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "That was... exhrating." [And you survived without blowing yourself up. Amendable achievement!] "Thanks for the uselessmentary," he replied with a shake of his head. Standing up, he stretched his arms. "Now I need to increase my cultivation to the Origin Core Creation Realm as well as learn a few Spatial Techniques, and I can learn the Space Intent while I''m at it," he excitedly muttered, thinking about the possibilities of space. [You should first cultivate this technique to that level, because it will take at least ten times the resources as other elements since it''s a Spatial Technique.] "Eh, I can handle that, the one thing I''m notcking is resources. If I''m short on Qi then I can just Dual Cultivate with my wives to increase my cultivation base," he smirked and replied. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 256 Increasing Cultivation [Hmph! Be careful, or they might suck you dry,] Yue Lan''s voice teasedzily, though there was a faint undertone of warning. "Haha, you don''t need to worry about that," Shen Yuan replied with a confident smirk. "I''m sure my physique can handle it." [¡­] He chuckled as she fell silent, shaking his head. "What? Cat got your tongue? Anyway, enough wasting time. I need to push my sixth dantian to the Origin Core Creation Realm." He threw around lots of High Grade Spirit Stone to fill the array before settling back onto the meditation mat, he adjusted his posture and took a deep breath. The air around him shimmered faintly with dense Spiritual Qi, drawn from the Spirit Stones by the gathering arrays beneath him. Every breath he took pulled in more of the concentrated essence, flooding his meridians with Qi and sending faint ripples through his sixth dantian. "This will take quite a long while," he muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing in focus. "I''m not short on that either way." He closed his eyes, and his world narrowed to the flow of Qi within his body. Each cycle through his meridians enhanced the concentration of Spatial Qi in his sixth Dantian. The rune within pulsed faintly, rapidly transforming the surging Spiritual Qi into Spatial Qi as his cultivation base began soaring, climbing from the first level of the Body Forging Realm to the Peak Body Forging Realm in a few breaths. Time passed in silence, each breath drawing more Qi into his body as he also utilized the Qi from the Primordial Yin stored in his Dantian. The chamber''s energy surged, responding to his relentless pace as he condensed the Spiritual Qi into denseyers within his sixth dantian. Slowly but surely, the cultivation base of his sixth dantian soared toward the Origin Core Creation Realm. ¡­ [You''re pushing it hard, aren''t you?] Yue Lan''s voice broke the silence as it had been too long during this round of cultivation. [You don''t need to rush you know, you are already cultivating way faster than normal cultivators, and with this Dual Cultivation Chamber, you will surpass all of your peers without leaving them any hope for catching up with you.] "Rushing?" Shen Yuan smirked without opening his eyes. "This is just me being efficient." [Efficient, huh? Sure, let''s call it that,] she teased, though she didn''t press further. Days turned into weeks as Shen Yuan remained in seclusion, building his foundation whileprehending the mysterious of Space. The Spatial Qi within him grew denser, sharper, and more refined with each passing day. The process wasn''t without its struggles¡ªhis body asionally trembled under the strain of handling such vtile Qi, and the spatial waves emanating from his dantian caused subtle distortions in the air around him. But Shen Yuan remained relentless in his pursuit for power. He drew upon his entire will, channeling Qi with precision and forcing his body to adapt to the rapid changes. The spatial element was difficult for even his body to handle, which had no prior direct contact with the element of space. Finally, after weeks of tireless effort, his cultivation began to advance from Peak Inner Sea Realm to Origin Core Creation Realm. A thunderous wave rumbled through his body as the energy within his sixth dantian solidified further, reaching the same concentration as the Qi within his Main Dantian. Marking his sessful breakthrough to the Origin Core Creation Realm. His entire body felt lighter, more in tune with the space surrounding him. Even his spatial perception seemed to have reached an entirely new level. Shen Yuan opened his eyes slowly, and the faint glow of Spatial Qi flickered within them. He flexed his fingers, feeling the Spatial Qi ying on his fingertips. "Origin Core Creation Realm for the Sixth Dantian huh." He softly murmured, a satisfied smile ying on his lips. [Good, you finally reached the Origin Core Creation Realm,] Yue Lan said with a hint of approval in her voice,n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om [It was much faster than I had expected, I was honestly thinking you might take 3 months, but you managed to did it in under 1 month.] "Hah, It was nothing much for me," he replied, slowly standing up and stretching his muscles. His joints cracked as he moved his body, and a faint spatial ripple followed his motion. "Nowes the fun part, learning the techniques from the Void Transversing Art." He smirked while saying. [You don''t wanna rest? Are you sure? It was one of your longest seclusion after all. Well that''s typical of you.] She sighed, though there was no real disapproval in her voice. [Let''s see how much you can push yourself during this training session.] "Hah, why rest when you can master a Spatial Technique in that time?" he replied with a smirk on his face, settling back onto the mat. Shen Yuan calmed his breathing. His mind delved into the knowledge etched into the Void Transversing Manual, focusing on the first technique: Void Steps. "This should be easy enough," he muttered, a confident smirk ying on his lips. He envisioned the principles behind the technique, imagining the space around him bending and folding, creating a temporary bridge to his destination. The first attempt was far from graceful. Shen Yuan gathered a thin thread of Spatial Qi, aiming to shift his position to a point a few meters ahead. He felt the space tremble under his will, but instead of smoothly transitioning, his body jerked forward awkwardly, stopping just short of his target. [Hahaha! That was smooth. You looked like a drunk bird trying to fly,] Yue Lan teased, herughter echoing in his mind. "Tsk, my spatial talent is not that high and it was my first try," Shen Yuan shot back, focusing more intently on the surrounding space. He adjusted the flow of the Qi in his meridians. This time, he focused onpressing the space rather than forcing it to bend. Enjoy exclusive adventures from empire On the second attempt, he felt the space around him stabilize. The air rippled faintly, and in the blink of an eye, he moved forward, appearing precisely at his target location. Without making a single bit of sound, no unnecessary energy was wasted. "Perfect," he muttered, a smug grin pasted on his face. [Truly Impressive.] Yue Lan said, though her tone still carried a hint of amusement. [At least now you don''t look like a sad drunk bird.] He decided to ignore her, diving back into practicing the technique over and over again. Over the next few weeks, his mastery grew. And after some time, he could use Void Steps seamlessly, moving across 2 meters of distance with precision and speed. "Hmm¡­ The technique is good but the range is far too limited for me. I need to increase my mastery over space to increase the limit on the distance." He muttered to himself as he realized what he was missing. But he didn''t let this stop him as he had more technique to learn, and the second technique he decided on was the Spatial Distortion. This technique was more intricate¡ªit required him to shift slightly out of sync with normal space, creating a state of semi-intangibility. Chapter 257 Mastering Techniques He could phase through objects or evade attacks, but it demanded exact timing and control over his Spatial Qi flow. He started with small goals, directing the Spatial Qi to envelop his entire body. The first attempt left him dizzy, the sensation of being partially disconnected from reality felt quite jarring to him. When he tried to phase through the table in the room, he only seeded in banging his knee into the table. [You are being impatient with this technique.] Yue Lan advised softly. [Don''t try to control the flow of space, try to mend in it, let the wind cough let the space carry you forward instead of trying to actively resist it.] Find your next adventure on empire Taking her words to heart, Shen Yuan calmed down, taking a few deep breaths. He visualized the space around him as a fluid, his body as a ripple within it. Gradually, he allowed himself to slip into the flow, feeling the boundaries of his existence blur. His heart raced as he passed through the table in the center of the room,pletely unscathed. "Fuck Yes!" He breathed, a sense of aplishment flowing through him. He spent the next few weeks perfecting the technique, learning to phase in and out at will within an instant. By the end of the three weeks, it felt almost natural¡ªa flicker of Spatial Qi, and he could phase through barriers as easily as stepping through an open door. "Haha, this will be quite useful to infiltrate sects or other such ces." He thought as his mind spun and all of a sudden an evil idea took ce in. [No. You won''t intrude into female disciples'' bathroom in the sect.] "Hey! I wasn''t thinking about that!" He quickly protested. [Yeah yeah sure. Let me meet with Yuxin next time. Hmph.] "Why are you angry about it anyway?" He suspiciously asked, "Are you perhaps¡­jealous?" [Hmph! Why would I be jealous?] Her voice filled with contempt sounded in his mind. "Well who knows what goes in that mind of yours." Shen Yuan shook his head before dropping the topic as he decided to learn one final technique before calling it quits. The final technique that he decided on was Spatial Camouge Veil, it was a deceptively simple technique in concept but quite challenging to use. By slightly distorting the space around him, Shen Yuan could effectively render himself invisible, The trick was maintaining the distortion without it copsing or causing visible ripples. He started by gathering Spatial Qi around his body, weaving it into a thin, flexible veil. The first attempts resulted in uneven coverage¡ªparts of his figure would disappear while space on other location seemed distorted, giving him a ghostly, distorted appearance. "It''s like I''m half here and half gone," he muttered, frustrated and amused by the funny sight. [You''re overthinking it again,] Yue Lan interjected. [Treat it like a second skin. It''s not about hiding from space¡ªit''s about blending into it.] Shen Yuan took a deep breath and tried again. This time, he visualized the veil as an extension of himself, a natural part of his presence. The Spatial Qi flowed smoothly, wrapping around him in a seamlessyer. When he opened his eyes, he nced at his reflection in the chamber''s polished floor. Nothing. Not even a faint shimmer. "Much better," he said, his smirk returning.N?v(el)B\\jnn Over the next few weeks, Shen Yuan pushed the technique further. He practiced moving while camouged, maintaining the veil even under intense Qi fluctuations. By the end of the second month, he could activate the Spatial Camouge Veil instinctively, his presence vanishing without a trace in an instant. "Void Steps, Phase Drift, and Spatial Camouge Veil¡ªall three techniques mastered," Shen Yuan said, standing in the center of the chamber. [The perfectbo to peep at the maidens in the bath. I know what kind of man you are now, Shen Yuan.] Her disdainful voice echoed in his mind. He felt his eye twitching hearing her words, "You know very well this was not the reason I learned these¡ªyou know what, I won''t exin myself. You know very well why I learned these techniques." [Hehe. Of course I know I was merely teasing you. So, now what? Will you exit seclusion?] "No, not yet. The most important part of this seclusion is remaining." He softly said before settling back down on the meditation mat. [Ah yeah, Spatial Intent. I forgot you haven''t mastered it yet.] "I''m not far, I won''t take long to learn it at this rate." [True enough, you are already at the Origin Core Creation Realm with a Spatial Technique, the one thing restricting you before was the absence of a spatial technique, now that you no longer have this issue, the Spatial Intent shoulde to you naturally.] Shen Yuan nodded before closing his eyes as he began deducing the spatialw, all which he had learned during the many times he has traversed through the Spatial portal of the sect. He let his senses roam free as they felt the subtle shift in the space around him. He''d already expanded his mastery through the Void Steps, Phase Drift, and Spatial Camouge Veil¡ªthree techniques that not only increased hisbat effectiveness but mastery over the Spatial Element as well. They had given him firsthand experience in manipting reality''s very fabric, and now he would leverage that insight. He recalled how he bent space to step forward silently, how he phased through solid objects without harming himself or the obstacle, how he vanished from sight by weaving a veil of refracted space. All these feats were like letters in an alphabet he''d barely begun to read. Now, he was studying the grammar and syntax behind them. For a long while, there was silence¡ªno yful banter from Yue Lan, no restless shifting. Shen Yuan''s aura calmed until it felt like a tranquilke. Within that stillness, he sensed patterns he hadn''t noticed before: the gentle curve of ambient Qi as it wrapped around objects, the subtle flow of Spatial Qi in different corners of the chamber. He realized that what he had manipted before was only the base surface of the Grand Space Dao. "Fascinating," he murmured softly. He could feel the shape of space itself¡ªslight tensions, pockets of resistance and fluidity, tiny fluctuations that allowed his techniques to take form. He started to trace these patterns in his mind, outlining them until they made sense, like piecing together fragments of a torn map. He extended his senses further, pushing the range of his spatial perception. The Qi formed gentle waves as he "ran" his mental fingers through the air, and that motion made him feel the space wave like the sea, feeling how easily spaceplied or resisted. To truly grasp Spatial Intent, he needed to pinpoint a singr concept that tied all his experiences together. Suddenly, he noticed a delicate equilibrium. His sixth dantian, now filled with Spatial Qi at the Origin Core Creation level, pulsed in resonance with a faint pattern. It wasn''t random; it matched with the rune he had carved to train with the void traversing technique. His mind cleared as he felt the space bing friendlier to him, making it much easier for him to manipte the space around him which he had to train months to even make use of. Chapter 258 Exiting Seclusion He slowly opened his eyes, "Finally," Space seemed to move like ocean waves as he exhaled a long breath. [You finally did it!] Yue Lan''s excited voice sounded in his mind. "Why are you getting excited? I''m sure it''s nothing much for you." He slightly shook his head. [Learning the Space Intent is taking a big step forward, don''t measure everything from my standard, you are already exceptional enough.] "Oh? Where is this praiseing from?" He lightly smiled while asking. [¡­] Shen Yuan slightly shook his head at herck of reaction with a smile, "Alright get me out of here, it''s already been months since I entered seclusion." [Heh, wait until you have to enter seclusion for decades at a time.] She sarcasticallymented before taking him out of the Dual Cultivation Chamber. ¡­ Opening his eyes, he saw the morning sun rising in the sky, he stood beneath the cherry blossom tree as the petals fell softly with the breeze. He took a deep breath as the fresh morning air filled his lungs, "What good weather." Smiling lightly, he stepped forward, pulling out a chair that was set beneath the cherry blossom tree. Settling down on it, he took a moment to appreciate the peacefulness of his garden. [So, how does it feel to have mastered the Spatial Intent?] Yue Lan''s curious voice chimed in his mind. Shen Yuan shrugged, leaning back as he took out a gourd of wine from his spatial ring. "I feel like a fish in water," he answered while uncorking the gourd and taking a sip. The fragrant aroma of the wine mingled with cherry blossom improved his mood greatly, "But there is always something higher to pursue. This is only the Space Intent." [That''s true. You have so many intents to master, and Space is not even among the top tier among them.] "Alright, no need to demotivate me now." He chuckled while saying, "I will get there slowly when the timees." [Hmm¡­ You should be able to master Yin Intent and Yang Intent quite easily, but your Cultivation Base is restricting you.] "My physique alone is enough for me to master those intents, I don''t need to train a specific technique for them." He nodded in agreement as he knew it himself the best. [True, but learning a technique will amplify your powers when you use the intents.] "That''s true. Hmm¡­ I will try to look for themter, for now, I should increase myprehension of the Intents and increase my Cultivation base while I''m at it." He took a big gulp out of the gourd as the wine tasted much better than usual. [Haha, if you continue at this rate then you will need to change the map soon and head to a higher level area.] Shen Yuan felt his eye twitching, "¡­I really don''t want to remember how people used to talk in my previous life." [But you will need to head over there again.] "I might kill all of them if they still have those brainrot trends." [Skib-]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Fuck off." ¡­ They continued their banter for quite a while until Shen Yuan heard some familiar voicesing from outside his mansion. "Hmm?" He raised his eyebrow as the voices seemed far too familiar to him. Putting the wine gourd back into his spatial ring, he rose from his chair and walked towards the exit of the mansion. Once at the doors, he slightly opened the gate and nced outside, only to see Wan Ling and Han Qingyu silently staring at each other just outside of his gates. [Ohoho, look who is the mister popr here, well this was bound to happen one way or another.] Yue Lan''s teasing voice echoed in his mind as he saw the situation outside of his mansion. "How long have they been standing outside my mansion?" His eyes twitched as he felt the situation worsening. [Go out before they start fighting haha.] He lightly coughed before pushing open the gates and stepping outside his mansion. Han Qingyu and Wan Ling turned their heads as their faces brightened with smiles. "Senior Brother!" "Brother Yuan!" Both of them paused as they looked at each other, "Tch" "Tch" "Cough,e inside, why are the two of you just standing outside?" He lightly coughed before stepping aside and inviting the two of them in. "Good morning Brother Yuan." "Good Morning Senior Brother." Both of them smiled lightly before greeting him. "Haha,e inside first, been a long time since Ist saw the two of you." Shen Yuan smiled before walking back into the mansion. The two of them followed after him, while Han Qingyu asked, "Too long? It hasn''t even been a week since thepetition ended though. Hehe, Brother Yuan, are you missing us this much?" "Haha, that might be true. I really was missing the two of you very much." Heughed slightly as they all entered the garden. Shen Yuan pulled a few more chairs from his storage ring and ced them beside the table. "Come, sit here." He gestured for them to sit beside him as he took ce on the chair opposite to them. Han Qingyu looked at Wan Ling with a smirk before pulling her chair beside Shen Yuan to sit down. Wan Ling''s eyes twitched looking at her action as she pulled her own chair on the other side of him. "You two¡­" Shen Yuan speechlessly shook his head, "Anyways, how long were you two standing outside the mansion?" He curiously asked. "Hehe, I just came outside for a bit and thought of visiting you, it hadn''t been long for me." Wan Ling replied with a shy smile. Shen Yuan smiled at her as he remembered the first time he met her, she was nothing but a shy introverted outer sect disciple. But now she had grown out of that personality so much. "I wasn''t outside for long as well," Han Qingyu also chimed in. "Well, it''s good that you guys weren''t outside for long. Anyways, here try this wine, I found this in the Outer Sect market when I went there to shopst time." He said before taking out an exquisite bottle of wine from his storage ring. Han Qingyu''s eyes lit up as she saw the beautiful bottle, "It''s so pretty. Shen Yuan uncorked the exquisite wine bottle, the rich aroma wafting into the air as he poured it into three red jade sses which he pulled from his storage ring. "Here, let''s toast to¡­ well, whatever you guys want." He handed a ss to each of them, raising his own with a smile. "To a surprise reunion?" Han Qingyu said with a yful grin, her gaze shifting briefly to Wan Ling. Wan Ling hesitated before lifting her ss, her lips curling into a soft smile. "To Senior Brother''s sessful win in thepetition." Shen Yuan chuckled. "I''ll take that. Cheers." They clinked their sses lightly before taking a sip. The wine''s sweet yet robust vor spread across their tongues, leaving a pleasant warmth that seemed to match the peaceful atmosphere of the garden. "This is delicious," Wan Ling said, her eyes wide with surprise. "Where exactly did you find this in the Outer Sect market?" "Yeah," Han Qingyu chimed in, swirling the wine in her ss. "I don''t remember seeing anything this fancyst time I visited." Shen Yuan leaned back in his chair, smirking. "You just have to know where to look. But since I also don''t know where to look I bought out half the market. That''s when I found this shop. The owner brews these herself. She called this one ''Crimson Blossom.'' Fitting, don''t you think?" [Wow, lying bitch, you stole these wines from the disciples of Ironwood Mountain n when you took away their spatial rings. And this backstory¡­] ''Minor details. And not like I didn''t buy out half the market thest time I visited that ce.'' Wan Ling nced at the cherry blossom tree, nodding. "It does match the atmosphere here perfectly." Han Qingyu tilted her head, her silver hair shining under the sunlight. "Brother Yuan, you really do big things alone. Maybe next time, you should take me there. I''d love to see you in action." "Why not me as well?" Wan Ling interjected, narrowing her eyes at Han Qingyu. "Of course," Shen Yuan interrupted before their bickering could escte. "I''ll take you both. It''s a small shop, but the owner''s got a knack for unique wines. I''ll introduce you to her at that time." [Haha, good luck finding this shop out there.] Han Qingyu smiled, though it didn''t quite reach her eyes. "Then it''s settled. You''ll be taking the two of us there." Wan Ling nodded, though her gaze lingered on Han Qingyu a moment longer before shifting back to Shen Yuan. "It''s a deal then." The three of them continued sipping their wine, enjoying the tranquil morning. After a while, Han Qingyu leaned forward, setting her ss on the table. Chapter 259 Choosing Plans "By the way, Brother Yuan," Han Qingyu spoke, her tone turning excited. "What about the ns you made about going out to explore the nearby region once the Sect Competition ends? I found this Volcanic Fire Region just some distance away from the sect." Wan Ling''s ears perked up, her brows furrowing slightly. "The Fire Region? Isn''t that the ce with unstable volcanic Qi? I heard the environment is pretty dangerous, even for Inner Sect disciples." "Exactly," Han Qingyu said, nodding. "But that''s also why it''s such a good training ground. Brother Yuan can also train there, he told mest time that he was searching for Fire and Thunder Regions." Shen Yuan swirled the wine in his ss thoughtfully. "Interesting. I have yet to explore the surroundings of the sect so I''m not familiar with this ce." "Maybe you can learn it from the sect''s libraryter." Wan Ling suggested. Shen Yuan leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly against the chair as he considered their words. "The Volcanic Fire Region, huh? If it''s as dangerous as you both say, then it might just be the perfect ce to find what I was looking for." [Of course, it''s perfect for you. Dangerous ces seem to be your second home,] Yue Lan chimed in, her tone filled with sarcasm. [But it shouldn''t be that hard for you considering you have surpassed Inner Sect Disciples by miles.] She finished saying with a nod of approval. ''I need to find out more about this ce.'' he lightly said before gazing at Wan Ling and asking, "You seem hesitant about this ce. What''s on your mind?" Wan Ling hesitated for a moment before replying, "It''s not that I don''t think you can handle it, Brother Yuan. But from what I''ve heard, the Fire Region isn''t just dangerous because of the volcanic Qi. There are also rumors of fire element beasts lurking there, some of which have cultivation levels equivalent tote-stage Extreme Origin Core Realm or higher." Han Qingyu smirked, crossing her arms. "And? That''s exactly why it''s such a valuable ce to train for Brother Yuan. If he can handle those geniuses from the Ironwood Mountain Sect, a few fire beasts shouldn''t be a problem." Wan Ling shot her a look but didn''t argue. Instead, she turned back to Shen Yuan. "If we''re going, we might as well get prepared first. At least bring some water-type talismans or defensive artifacts. The volcanic Qi alone can be overwhelming without proper measures." "Good point," Shen Yuan agreed, nodding. "I''ll look into some talismans and artifacts before we leave. But what about you two? Are you nning toe along, or is this just an idea you''re throwing my way?" Han Qingyu leaned forward, her silver eyes shed with resolve. "I will go with you. A ce like that is a rare opportunity to hone my Azure Phoenix Physique. Besides," she added with a sly smile, "I wouldn''t want to miss the chance to see how Brother Yuan dominates such a huge region." Wan Ling sighed softly, a hint of a smile ying at her lips. "I''lle too. Someone has to make sure things don''t get out of hand." [And someone has to keep the peace between these two,] Yue Lan muttered teasingly in Shen Yuan''s mind. "Then it''s settled," Shen Yuan said, raising his ss once more. "We''ll head to the Volcanic Fire Region together. But let''s not go there without any preparation, we need to make sure there are no unnecessary risks." "Understood, Brother Yuan," Wan Ling nodded her head. "Naturally," Han Qingyu added with a confident grin. "I''ll check the marketter for anything we might need." Shen Yuan smiled, satisfied with how things turned out so far. "Good. Let''s meet back here tomorrow morning to finalize everything. For now, let''s enjoy the rest of this wine and the peace of the day." [I doubt you can have peace with the two of them here.] Shen Yuan ignored her remark and peacefully sipped his wine while enjoying the falling cherry blossom with the two of them in hispany. ¡­ "Mmm~ That was quite fun." Shen Yuan said while stretching his hands. [Yeah it was fun for me as well hehe.] Yue Lan giggled. "You just had fun seeing me making peace between the two of them." He shook his head while chuckling. He gazed at the gates where the two of them left not long ago. [That aside, from what I heard from them, she really chose a good ce. It will not only help you but also help Han Qingyu with her cultivation due to her physique.] Shen Yuan nodded before walking towards the exit of his mansion. "I should go and look around the market, I haven''t visited the Inner Sect Market." [There must be better goods than the outer sect which you boughtst time.] "Well, just hope I can find a few fire-resistant treasures there, they will be helpful for Wan Ling." Pushing open the gates, he exited the mansion before making his way towards the spatial portals leading towards the Inner Sect Market. [I really want to see how you will show off during your fights with the space intent.] "Haha it will be epic, that is for sure." He smirked while saying. [Just don''t lose control and embarrass yourself when it matters the most.] "I won''t make such rookie mistakes. I''ve already pretty much mastered the First level of Space Intent." He shook his head while saying. Shen Yuan strolled leisurely towards the spatial portals leading to the Inner Sect Market, his hands resting behind his back as he admired the morning sun on the sect''s buildings. [You know, with your Level One Space Intent, even these spatial portals must feel different, right?] Yue Lan''s voice echoed yfully in his mind.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om He smirked slightly. "It''s¡­ clearer now. Before, the portals felt like structured channels¡ªartificial pathways forced into ce. Now, they feel like extensions of the natural fabric of space itself, as if they''re alive, shifting and breathing with the world." [Oh, poetic now, are we? What''s next, preaching philosophy about the Dao of Space?] "Just stating the facts," Shen Yuan replied with a shrug. "I can even feel the faint ripples of the portals from here. It''s like sensing a current in a vast ocean. Every distortion, every thread of space feels more defined now." [Good. That rity will be critical when you start truly pushing the limits of your techniques. Especially if you want to handle teleportation without ending up in two ces at once.] "Tsk, I don''t need reminders about what happens when you mess up with space. I''ve read enough disastrous attempts by others." He chuckled lightly as he approached the portal hub. The spatial portal stood majestically ahead. The disciples guarding the gate bowed slightly seeing him approach. By this point, everyone in the Sect knew what Shen Yuan had done for the sect. He also gracefully nodded his head and epted their bow of respect without putting on airs. He stepped forward as the disciples made way for him, cing a hand gently against the surface of the portal. Chapter 260 Inner Sect Market "It''s like stepping into a stream," he muttered, taking a step into the portal. In an instant, he entered the portal, the world vanished from his vision as he for the first time saw the space for what it truly was. A vast empty void filled with nothing but dots connecting with each other. ''Is¡­this space?'' He quietly thought to himself. [Indeed, these are the spatial coordinates of your world, they are called Spatial Nodes, if youprehend the Space Law then you can make use of them, but for now, you can only admire them.] Before he could look further, the world around him shifted, the greenery and sect paths dissolving into a blur of light before reforming into the Spatial Portal of the bustling Inner Sect Market. He stood still for a moment, his mind still focused on the incredible view of the Spatial Nodes. His senses soon adjusted to his new environment. The markety before him, a lively zone of vibrant banners, intricate storefronts, and disciples calling out their wares. [The Inner Sect Market feelspletely different, doesn''t it? Much livelier than the Outer Sect one.] Yue Lanmented. "It''s not just the liveliness," Shen Yuan replied, his gaze scanning the crowd. "The quality of the goods here is on another level. Even the Qi radiating from the items feels more refined. This ce should have quite some good stuff for me to splurge my money on." [You can probably find goods up to the level of Extreme Origin Core Realm since it''s the Inner Realm, you should be good with that level of Fire Resistant stuff for your little adventure.] "Got it, got it," he muttered with a grin, weaving his way through the market. Shen Yuan strolled into the bustling Inner Sect Market, his gaze moving from one stall to another. The air was thick with Spiritual Mist gathered from all the treasures collected in one ce. The asional re of Qi as treasures was being demonstrated. [Oh, look at you. The young master on a shopping spree, are you here for treasures or beauties?] Yue Lan teased. "I don''t n to hold back this time either," Shen Yuan replied with a smirk. "If something catches my eye, it''s mine. Well, not the beauties, though. I''m not here for them." The first shop he approached was an alchemist''s stall, its shelves lined with shimmering jade bottles and radiant pills that exuded a fragrant aroma. A silver-haired attendant greeted him with a deep bow. "Senior Brother Shen, wee! How can I be of service?" "I''m looking for something that would be helpful for the Volcanic Fire Region." He said with a gentle smile. "Perfect!" She joyfully said before continuing, "We just got a new batch of Extreme Heat-Resistant Pills? Perfect for regions like the Volcanic Fire Region." Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, impressed by the attendant''s knowledge. "Show me." The attendant quickly presented a small jade box from one of the shelves. Inside were crimson pills, each emitting a faint heat. "These can withstand temperatures equivalent to the core of a mid-tier volcano. While it also protects you from the poisonous miasma which some of the specific volcanoes there emit." "Good enough," Shen Yuan said, tossing a spatial ring onto the counter. "I''ll take all you have." The attendant''s eyes widened slightly but quickly masked her surprise, bowing deeply. "Of course, Senior Brother."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om [Woah woah, calm down there Young Master, you might im the heart of that young maiden.] Yue Lan quipped as Shen Yuan ced the pills into his storage ring. ''Why would I think so much about that now? My mere presence is enough to charm these disciples.'' he muttered seeing the subtle blushes on the shopkeepers'' faces which only amused him further. [You really do enjoy being the center of attention, don''t you?] Yue Lan teased. "Haha, it''s not like I asked for this attention. If they find me charming, who am I to deny them the pleasure of admiring me?" Shen Yuan smirked, his hands sped behind his back as he casually approached another shop. The next stall specialized in talismans, their door glowing faintly with intricate rune patterns. The shopkeeper, a petite woman with fiery red hair tied in a bun, greeted him with a bright smile. "Senior Brother Shen, wee! Looking for anything specific today?" Shen Yuan''s gaze scanned the talismans on disy. "Fire Suppression Talismans. Show me the best ones you''ve got." The shopkeeper''s eyes lit up as she quickly retrieved a set of talismans from a golden chest behind her. "These are the best Fire Suppression Talismans crafted by Elder Mo herself. They not only suppress heat but also absorb excess fire Qi to boost your cultivation." Shen Yuan picked one up, feeling the faint coolness radiating from the intricate rune. "Not bad. I''ll take the entire stock." The shopkeeper froze, her cheeks reddening. "T-The entire stock? Senior Brother, are you sure?" Shen Yuan nodded, tossing another spatial ring onto the counter. "Do I look unsure? Pack them up." With trembling hands, the shopkeeper carefully packed the talismans into a jade box, her eyes sparkling with admiration. "Senior Brother Shen, you''re truly generous. Thank you!" [Look at you, swooping in like a celestial prince. You''re going to have these girls writing poems about you soon,] Yue Lan didn''t let the opportunity to tease him slip by. "Let them, it will be fun to show it off to my family." Shen Yuan replied nonchntly, cing the talismans into his storage ring before moving on. Continue reading on empire At the next shop, a tall, elegant woman with silver hair and piercing blue eyes greeted him with a polite bow. "Senior Brother Shen, an honor to have you here. How may I be of service to you?" "I need artifacts that can protect against intense fire Qi and volcanic miasma," Shen Yuan said, his gaze sweeping over the artifacts disyed. The shopkeeper gestured toward a shimmering golden cloak hanging in the center. "I have quite a few of such treasures in stock." "Look at this Emberguard Cloak, reinforced with fire-resistant inscriptions andyered with a protective barrier. It''s one of the best artifacts for fiery environments." Shen Yuan examined the cloak, feeling the subtle pulse of Qi flowing through the inscriptions. "Good. What else do you have?" The woman quickly brought out lots of other artifacts designed to enhance resistance against fire elements. "These are all of the fire-rted treasures we have as of now." "Pack them all. And anything else you think might be useful for the Volcanic Fire Region." The shopkeeper''s calm demeanor cracked as her cheeks turned a faint pink. "Everything, Senior Brother? That''s¡­ quite a huge purchase." Shen Yuan chuckled. "Do you doubt me?" "N-Not at all!" she quickly said, bowing again. "I''ll have it all packed immediately." [Give the poor girl some ck, look how she is flustered haha.] ¡­ At another shop selling rare beast materials, Shen Yuan''s eyes fell on a brilliant crimson orb encased in crystal. The shopkeeper, a slender woman with sharp, fox-like features, noticed his interest and stepped forward. "Senior Brother, this is a meheart Core, taken from an Extreme Origin Core Realm Fire Element Beast. It''s an excellent catalyst for fire-based cultivation." Chapter 261 Emptying the Market "I''ll take it," Shen Yuan said without hesitation. His gaze then shifted to a shelf lined with fiery feathers, fire lotus seeds, and molten crystals. "And everything else you''ve got that''s rted to fire elements and thunder elements." The shopkeeper blinked, stunned. "Senior Brother, are you¡­ sure? This is one of our most expensive collections. And that thunder-rted stuff¡­ this would be the biggest sale of my life." Shen Yuan smiled faintly, tossing yet another spatial ring onto the counter. "Do I look like someone who asks twice?" The fox-like woman smiled slyly, her tail swishing slightly behind her as she packed up the treasures. "Of course not, Senior Brother. You''re someone who gets what he wants." [She''s practically flirting with you now,] Yue Lan said with augh. [Will you now have two foxes in your harem?] "I''m here for treasures, not for wives," Shen Yuan replied with a light chuckle. Shop after shop, stall after stall, Shen Yuan left the female disciples either stunned, smitten, or both. From fire Qi refinement scrolls to rare elixirs, defensive treasures tobat artifacts, he bought out everything remotely useful¡ªor simply interesting. His storage ring was rapidly filling, but he didn''t care about it as he would just start throwing the stuff into his inventory. By the time he nearly emptied the entire market, even the sun began to dip lower from the skies above, casting a warm glow over the market. "Well, that should be enough," Shen Yuan said, adjusting his sleeves. [Enough? You''ve practically plundered the Inner Sect Market,] Yue Lan teased. [If word gets out, they might start calling you ''Young Master Shen, the Market Conqueror.''] "Good. Let them. At least then people will know not to challenge me in a bidding war," Shen Yuan said with a smirk, making his way back toward the spatial portal. [That''s true, you will have a far easier time in the Auction houses if you be popr like this.] Her bell-likeughter rang in his mind. "Anyways, now that I have got all the necessary and unnecessary things from the market, I won''t have any issue if the two of them didn''t prepare anything at all." He lightly said while walking. [Hmm¡­ You used quite a lot of supplies during yourst journey to the Mystique Realm.] "Doesn''t matter, I took a lot of those things from the outer sect market, and I also earned a good amount from that Ironwood idiot." Lightly shaking his head, he made his way towards the Spatial Portals. They still shone majestically while standing at the center of the hub. He paid the Spirit Stones before making his way into one of the portals. ¡­ "Space is really something huh." Hemented softly while sitting in his courtyard. [You have only stepped foot on the Grand Space Dao, the true miracles are yet unknown to you.] She yawned and said whilezing lying on his shoulder. Shen Yuan softly patted Xueyan who was lying on hisp peacefully. [Heh, this poor girl has really been in the Beast Companion Space for far too long. I''m afraid you might have totally forgotten about her.] Shen Yuan''s eyes twitched because what she said was indeed true, "Hey, I didn''t forget about her, I was just busy." [Yeah yeah sure. But it''s a good thing she didn''t feel the passage of time otherwise she might be crying in that space.] Your next journey awaits at empire He looked down while patting her, at that time Xueyan also raised her head to look at Shen Yuan in the eye. "No need to stare at me like that, I didn''t forget about you, I was just busy." He gently smiled and pulled her up in his embrace. Xueyan softly purred and rubbed her face with Shen Yuan''s chest. "Haha, Good girl." He finallyughed while exhaling a sigh of relief. [This girl will only suffer losses with you in the future it seems.] "Nah, she won''t suffer losses with me." He smiled and continued, "I will make sure she has one of the most leisurely lives on the Mortal World." [She is already on the Peak of Foundation Establishment realm from all those Spirit Stones you gave her.] "That''s a good thing, she can be stronger faster to protect my family." He patted her back while smiling softly. [Heh, be careful or she might surpass you.] Yue Lan smirked before turning into light and going back in his Sea of Consciousness. "Haha, that''s good as well, I will have someone so cute to protect me." He smiled before cing Xueyan on hisp and closed his eyes toprehend the Intents that he had mastered. ''He might learn the Weapon Master Intent at this rate.'' Yue Lan thought to himself while seeing the various spiritual weapons being materialized around Shen Yuan. ¡­ Knock Knock Shen Yuan slowly opened his eyes as he heard someone knocking on his door. "Are they finally here?" He softly spoke as the Spiritual Weapons around him dispersed into Qi again. Xueyan raised her head before rubbing face with his clothes to get his attention. He looked down to see Xueyan on hisp. Gently smiling, he began, "Well, sorry about it but the region I''m going to is far too dangerous for someone at your current level." Xueyan tilted her head cutely while staring at him. "Haah¡­ never mind, just enter the Companion Space and rest for a bit." He said before sending her into that space, he ced a lot of high-tier Spirit Stones for her to eat.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om [What luxury indeed, I don''t think even the Inner Sect disciples here had this level of luxury while they were cultivating.] "How can theypare to my Xueyan?" He smirked before rising from his chair and heading towards the gate. "Well, I kept them waiting long enough, let''s head out now." Shen Yuan opened the gates to see Han Qingyu and Wan Ling waiting for him, both dressed in ssic disciple robes. Han Qingyu''s silver hair shined brightly under the sunlight, already looking forward to the journey with bright eyes, while Wan Ling''s gentle face also held a hint of excitement for the uing journey. "Brother Yuan, you''re finally here," Han Qingyu said, crossing her arms with a yful huff. "I thought you forgot about going with us today." Wan Ling lightly shook her head, smiling gently, "It''s fine Senior Brother. We''ve only been here for a short time." Shen Yuan chuckled lightly, closing the gate behind him. "Looks like you both are quite eager for this trip, then let''s not waste any more time." [Hehe, looks like you will have your hands full taking care of these two. I hope they can keep up with your pace there.] Her yful voice echoed in his mind. ''No need to worry, I can take care of them easily,'' Shen Yuan replied internally as he gestured for the two of them to follow after him. "Let''s head out." ¡­ The three of them made their way through the sect''s ground toward the main gate. The surrounding disciples paused in their tracks, staring at the group as Shen Yuan had gotten far too famous due to his recent feat. And him leading two beauties side by side only further made the crowd gossipy. Chapter 262 Leaving the Sect [Hmm¡­ how long do you think the Sect will take before announcing you as their new Core Disciple?] ''Who knows, I''m not in need of the Core Disciple Identity right now anyways, my strength should be in the Upper Middle tier among the Core Disciples if I''m not wrong.'' He replied internally. [That is true as well, you should increase your cultivation base after returning from the Fire Region. As well as improve your Alchemy and cksmithing mastery.] ''Sigh so much work to do, hmm is there any clone technique in the shop with which I can do all this stuff at once?'' His eyes lit up as he thought of the perfect n. [There are many such techniques, but it would be better for you to look at a Physique which can do this, as that will help you in the long run.] ''I will look into itter then.'' He finished his talk with her as they had reached the main gate. Shen Yuan turned towards the disciples guarding the gate and began to register his leave for the Volcanic Fire Region. ¡­ After leaving the sect, they walked on the stone path towards the city. Han Qingyu nced at Shen Yuan with a curious expression. "Brother Yuan, have you been outside the sect much since joining?" Shen Yuan shook his head, "I can count on the fingers of my hand the number of times I have exited the sect since joining. One time was for Mystique Realm and another toplete a Sect mission. This will be a good chance to stretch my legs." Wan Ling chimed in with a soft voice. "The Volcanic Fire Region is a few days journey from here if we take the Spirit Beast from the city. We can leave them in the city near the Fire Region while we explore that ce." Han Qingyu nodded, "True, the closer we get to that region the harsher the conditions will be." Shen Yuan smirked. "Don''t worry. I''vee prepared for that." [Prepared? By that you mean you bought out nearly the entire Inner Sect Market, right?] Yue Lan yfully chimed in. Ignoring her, he looked towards the city on the horizon and said "Well for now, let''s head to the city to get a few mounts for ourselves." Han Qingyu and Wan Ling nodded their heads in agreement before they all went to the city. ¡­ "Wow! These are the Northern Wind Horses! One of the finest mounts avable in the market." Han Qingyu eximed while riding the horses. "Haha, I took these thest time I headed out for the mission." Shen Yuanughed and said. Explore stories on empire [You could have just used your ship to go there you know?] Yue Lan asked as she thought he would take the ship since it will get them there in at most an hour. ''What''s the fun in that? We are out for an adventure, not only for training. We can afford to dy our journey by a couple of days.'' He softly smiled and said back. "So from what route will we go to the region?" Wan Ling asked while galloping on her horse. Shen Yuan reached into his spatial ring and pulled out a map. He unfolded it and traced their route with his finger. "We''ll follow this path for the first day. There''s a tavern marked here, near a forest. We can take a break there before continuing." Han Qingyu came near to see the map with her horse, "That''s a good n. But what if we encounter trouble along the way like thest time? The closer we get to the fire region, the more likely we''ll run into rogue cultivators or wild beasts." "The same thing will happen to them, as what happened to thest bandits who crossed our path." He said calmly before addressing the two of them. "And you two can also practice with them." ¡­ As the group continued on their way toward the tavern marked on Shen Yuan''s map, the dense greenery around the path became sparse, turning into uneven rocky terrain. [Hehe, looks like you have somepany.] Yue Lan''sugh filled his mind. Shen Yuan''s eyes narrowed slightly. ''They are trying to mark their presence to encircle us. Looks like they want to cut off our path of escape.'' Han Qingyu and Wan Ling seemed to have sensed it too, as their mounts grew restless. Han Qingyu tightened her grip on the reins, she turned to face Shen Yuan and spoke with a wry smile, "Brother Yuan, seems like what we feared happened." Wan Ling nced nervously toward the trees and bushes on the path, "Bandits?" Shen Yuan nodded, "Yeah, most likely. They are trying to encircle us. Stay sharp since you will be the ones dealing with them." They slowly moved forward as the air grew thicker with tension. Finally, a group of figures emerged from the shadows of the trees, blocking the path ahead. There were seven of them, all armed with weapons ranging from swords to spears. Their leader, a burly man with a scar running down his face, stepped forward with a smirk on his face. "Well, what do we have here? A group of younglings out on a nice stroll. Leave your treasures behind, and we might just let you all go unharmed," his voice rumbled toward the group, his eyes scanning the three of them. His gaze lingered on Han Qingyu and Wan Ling for a moment longer, and his smirk widened. "Or perhaps youdies can stay for a¡­ longer chat." Wan Ling''s face flushed with anger, and Han Qingyu''s expression darkened. Before Shen Yuan could respond, Han Qingyu dismounted from her horse, her silver hair shining in the sun like a war goddess, "Brother Yuan, let me handle this one." she said confidently. Wan Ling clenched her fist tightly before dismounting as well, her gaze resolute. "I''ll help." Shen Yuan proudly looked at the two of them, a faint smile ying on his lips. "Fine. Show me what you''ve learned in the sect. And do not forget that I''m here, go ahead and fight to your heart''s content." He reached into his spatial ring and pulled out a sleek ck bow, casually notching an arrow. His aura didn''t fluctuate a single bit, but his eyes turned sharp as he observed his surroundings for any possible ambushes. The bandits burst outughing, their leader barking, "Oh, this is rich! The littledies think they can take us on. Boys, let''s¡ª" Before he could finish, Han Qingyu moved.N?v(el)B\\jnn Her Azure Phoenix Physique zed with a faint silver glow as she lunged forward, her spear appearing in her hand with a sharp burst of Spear Qi. ''Oh? A spear user huh, she didn''t use her Spear arts against me while sparring.'' Shen Yuan''s eyes shed briefly with surprise before he focused back on the battle. The bandits were caught off guard by her speed as her spear struck one of them squarely in the chest, sending him flying backward into a tree with a thud. Wan Ling followed suit after Han Qingyu, her movements without any excess motion. She summoned her radiant sword as she engaged two bandits at once, her strikespletely precise. Chapter 263 Fighting Bandits The remaining bandits scrambled to counterattack, the leader barking orders in a rough, panicked voice. "Spread out and take them down! Don''t let those little girls humiliate you!" Han Qingyu spun her spear in a deathly arc, deflecting a bandit''s de before countering with a sharp thrust. The tip of the spear glowed with a silvery aura as it pierced through the bandit''s chest, leaving a gaping hole where his heart used to be. Wan Ling, on the other hand, danced between her opponents. She used her Radiant Sword Arts with swift precision, the edge of her de cutting through the air as she parried and countered the bandits'' attacks. She deflected one bandit''s clumsy swing and retaliated with a sharp slice, leaving a glowing line across his chest before he copsed. Shen Yuan watched the fight unfold with calm eyes, his bow still notched with an arrow. His eyes sharply moved toward the bandit leader, who was quietly signaling two hidden figures in the forest to sneak attack Wan Ling. His lips curved into a slight smirk. ''Well, what can I say? As expected of bandits? Hah.'' [They are lowly bandits, what else can we even expect from them?] Yue Lan disdainfully said. ''Hey, bandits are good, just depends on who they are robbing.'' He slightly shook his head before drawing his bowstring back, the arrow glowing faintly with thunderous energy. "Let''s make it a short-lived surprise." As one of the hidden bandits stepped out from the shadows of the trees, a loud crack echoed through the forest. Shen Yuan''s arrow streaked through the air like a bolt of lightning, striking the bandit square in the head. Thunder Qi exploded on impact, sending the man flying backward into a tree. His headless body dropped to the ground, smoke rising from the charred neck. The bandit leader''s eyes widened as he realized the situation was rapidly getting out of his control. "You bastard! Do you think this is a game?" he roared, charging toward Han Qingyu with his massive axe raised high. Han Qingyu smirked, her silver aura intensifying. She avoided his attack with ease, her spear glowing brighter as she thrust it forward. The tip struck the axe''s shaft, creating a resounding ng as the force pushed the leader back several steps. Wan Ling, having finished off her opponent, turned her attention to the remaining bandits. Her movements quickened, and her sword shined with radiant Qi. She weaved between them like a shadow, her strikes aiming precisely at their weak points. Meanwhile, Shen Yuan casually notched another arrow, his voice calm. "Focus on your Qi reserves. Don''t overexert yourselves." His arrow flew again, hitting another bandit attempting to run away from the fight. Lightning crackled across his body as the bandit copsed, twitching on the ground. The leader growled, his anger boiling over. "You think you can toy with us?" His axe swung in a wide arc, attempting to overpower Han Qingyu with brute strength. "Toying? I''m merely warming up," Han Qingyu replied coldly. Her spear struck the axe as her Qi flowed seamlessly into her weapon. With a burst of strength, she deflected the attack and countered with a quick thrust to the leader''s shoulder. The spear struck his shoulder and crimson blood flowed down his hand, he stumbled back while loudly cursing. Shen Yuan fired his arrow once again as it hit another bandit who attempted to sneak behind Wan Ling.Thunder Qi rippled through the air, cracking loudly as the bandits shuddered at the echo of it. "Looks like you have already lost your number advantage," he said with a faint smirk. Wan Ling''s final opponent fell to her sword as she turned to Han Qingyu. "Need help with that guy?" Han Qingyu shook her head, her silver hair shimmering in the sunlight. "Nah, he isn''t that tough." The leader roared in anger, charging at her again as he knew running away was a futile endeavor. Han Qingyu''s spear pulsed with fire and wind elements as she met his attack head on. ''Oh she is finally utilizing the power of her physique.'' Shen Yuan thought while seeing her strength rising.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om She didn''t back down as she continuously hit the bandit leader with her spear, each hit aimed to disarm and incapacitate him. With one final, decisive thrust, her spear pierced through his chest, ending the fight in her victory. The surroundings fell silent, except for the faint crackling of the residual Thunder Qi in the air. Shen Yuan lowered his bow and dismounted from his mount, he nodded in approval and said, "Not bad, not bad at all. You both done exceptionally this time, without hesitating to execute your opponents." Han Qingyu wiped the sweat from her forehead before wiping clean the blood from her spear, "That was quite a decent fight, the bandit leader had quite a strong cultivation base." Wan Ling nodded her head, sheathing her sword after cleaning it, "They were pretty good for bandits, but that''s all. Any Inner Sect disciple could have taken care of them." Shen Yuan nodded, "True, but no need topare yourself with all of them," he said before turning to Han Qingyu, "Qingyu, you just entered the Sect for a short few months, and you have already achieved so much, that''s exceptional enough." Explore more adventures at empire He then turned to Wan Ling before gently smiling and saying, "And Wan Ling, it''s been like a month since you entered the Inner Sect, no need topare yourself with those older disciples, you will reach far on the path of cultivation yourself." Both of them blushed slightly at hispliments before lowering their heads, "Thank you, Senior Brother Yuan." "Thank you, Brother Yuan." Shen Yuan nodded with approval. [Hmm, you''re ying the role of their mentor quite well. Are you training them so they won''t fall far behind you in the future?] ''Yes, I don''t want any of my harem members to feel inferior to each other, and since we are pretty much sure that these both will be in my harem sooner orter, it''s better to toughen them up right now.'' [That''s true as well, and they are doing good so far, you can also buy a few things from the market to help them.] ''I was thinking of giving that Heavenly Tier Bloodline to Wan Ling but now I feel it will be too inferior for her.'' [Just do things at your own pace, you can prepare a nice gift for her before your official proposal. Hehe.] ''Oh yeah, System might also give me a few good things to give them when I add them in the harem and during the first time we Dual Cultivate, no?'' [Who knows? It''spletely random, you can get good things orplete trash.] ''Meh, I will see to it when the timees.'' Shen Yuan replied to Yue Lan before ncing at the fallen bandits. "Let''s check their belongings. They might have something useful." The three of them searched the bodies, gathering Spirit Stones, low-grade artifacts, a few low-grade cultivation manuals, and a few vials of pills. After gathering the loot from the bandits, the three of them mounted their Northern Wind Horses and resumed their journey. Chapter 264 The Wanderers Inn The forest loomed in the distance like a behemoth shrouded in mist. The sun had begun to descend, casting shadows across the rocky terrain. Han Qingyu, riding alongside Shen Yuan, broke the silence first. "Brother Yuan, these bandits seemed a bit more organized than the usual idiots. Do you think there might be more of them ahead?" Shen Yuan shook his head slightly. "Unlikely. Bandit groups rarely stay inrge numbers unless they''ve set up a proper base. These were just opportunists who picked the wrong targets." Wan Ling, riding on the other side of Shen Yuan said, "Senior Brother Yuan is correct. I have seen my fair share of bandit groups as well and they were nothing special. But the forest ahead can be a bit problematic since I heard it''s quite mysterious." [It''s good they''re staying vignt,] Yue Lanmented in Shen Yuan''s mind. [Looks like you won''t have to train them that much after all, they are alerted about their surroundings without being paranoid.] ''That''s a good thing,'' Shen Yuan said, his gaze fixed on the tavern nowing into view. The building was modest but sturdy, built with dark wood and reinforced stone. Light flickered from the windows, and the faint murmur of conversation reached their ears as they approached the tavern. A wooden sign hanging from the front read "The Wanderer''s Inn." "Finally," Han Qingyu said, dismounting from her horse and stretching her arms. "I''m starving." Wan Ling nodded her head, dismounting gracefully. "Let''s grab something to eat and gather some information about the forest. Cultivators here must have more knowledge about the forest." "We will know once we go inside." Shen Yuan said with a smile and led the group inside. The interior of the tavern was simple yet weing enough, with sturdy wooden tables and arge hearth crackling with fire. A few cultivators and mercenaries sat scattered around the tables, their hushed conversations momentarily pausing as they noticed the three of them enter the tavern. The innkeeper, a petite woman with a cheerful demeanor, greeted them warmly. "Wee, travelers! Looking for food, drink, or a room for the night?" "Food and drink for now," Shen Yuan replied with a polite nod. "And perhaps some information about the forest ahead," he said before sliding a storage ring with more than enough Spirit Stones to buy out the entire Inn. The innkeeper''s smile faltered slightly as she heard the mention of the forest. "Ah, the Mistwood Forest, eh? Quite a dangerous ce, especially at night like this. Most people don''t want to talk about it." She hesitated to say more, but Shen Yuan pushed the storage ring forward which she picked up to see.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Her eyes shined brightly as she saw the contents inside of the ring. "But of course, I''m different than those cowards,e, sit down. I''ll bring you something to eat, and we can talk." Her entire demeanor changed as she happily went to fetch some food while humming. Shen Yuan shook his head with a smile looking at the Innkeeper''s behavior, "Let''s go and sit down," He said to the two of them before settling at a corner table. And soon enough, steaming tes of roasted meat, fresh bread, and vegetable stew were set before them, along with mugs of fragrant tea. Wan Ling took a cautious sip of the tea before ncing at the innkeeper. "You mentioned the forest is dangerous at night. Is there something specific we should be wary of?" The innkeeper wiped her hands on her apron and sat down in one of the empty chairs. "Mistwood Forest is dense and filled with beasts that grow more aggressive after sunset. There are also rumors of rogue cultivators or bandits using the forest as a hideout. But the biggest threat is the Mist Shades." Han Qingyu raised an eyebrow. "Mist Shades?" The innkeeper nodded grimly. "They''re spectral creatures, said to be the remnants of cultivators who perished in the forest. They''re drawn to the abundant Qi of cultivators and have been known to attack cultivators who venture too deep into the forest. You''ll want to keep your Qi restrained to avoid attracting them." Shen Yuan leaned back on the chair with a cup of tea in his hand, his expression turning amused. "Interesting. Anything else we should know?" The innkeeper hesitated before adding, "There''s a clearing in the center of the forest. It''s said to be a safe spot, where no beast or Shade dares to tread. Some say it''s because of an ancient artifact buried there, but no one has ever confirmed it. But all those who had gone there feel electrified and their hairs bing straight." [An artifact, huh? Well it might be helpful to you if it is what I''m thinking it is,] Yue Lan softly said. ''I have my own guess about what it is as well,'' Shen Yuan replied, taking a sip of his tea. Han Qingyu finished her meal and nced at Shen Yuan. "So, what''s the n? Do we push through the forest tonight or wait until morning?" Shen Yuan considered for a moment before replying, "We''ll enter now and make our way to the clearing. If it''s as safe as the rumors suggest, we can rest there. And what''s the point of this adventure if we don''t get some of these wild experiences." he finished saying with a smirk. Wan Ling nodded in agreement with a smile, "It will also make ourpetition from other cultivators or rogue cultivators less likely as they will be inactive during the night." The innkeeper smiled, "Just take care of yourself out there, I don''t like it when young ones like you die in the outside world." Han Qingyu looked at the petite figure of the innkeeper before saying with a sweet smile, "You don''t look that old yourself, why are you referring to us as if we are the same age as your grandchildren." The innkeeper stood up and chuckled, "If I had descendants, you guys would even be younger than them." Han Qingyu''s and Wan Ling''s eyes shed with shock as they heard what she said, while Shen Yuan looked at her leaving back thoughtfully. ''Looks like there is more about this Inn than meets the eye.'' [Of course, that woman is a lot stronger than your Sect Leader you know?] Yue Lan chimed in. ''Huh? She is that strong?'' This time even Shen Yuan was surprised as he heard what Yue Lan said. [Well don''t think too much about her for now, just focus on your meal and then what you will do in the forest.] ''¡­true.'' After finishing their meal and paying the innkeeper, the three of them prepared to leave. The innkeeper waved her hand to bid the three of them farewell. "Take care of yourselves you three!" "For sure we will, don''t worry about it." Shen Yuan smiled and waved his hand back as well. Han Qingyu and Wan Ling also waved back at her with smiles before mounting the horses and heading towards the dense forest. Continue reading on empire ¡­ "Hmm¡­ is it only me or is the mist thickening ever since we got here?" Wan Ling softly said looking at the dense mist in front of her. "We haven''t even entered the goddamn forest yet. And this mist is making visibility hard." Han Qingyu annoyedly said. Chapter 265 Entering the Forest Hmm¡­ is it only me or is the mist thickening ever since we got here?" Wan Ling softly said, looking at the dense mist in front of her. "We haven''t even entered the goddamn forest yet. And this mist is making visibility hard," Han Qingyu annoyedly said. Shen Yuan chuckled softly, he calmly said, "Settle down, you two. It''s just a bit of mist. We''ve not even encountered the Mist Shades. What would you two do when you encounter those ghostly creatures?" Han Qingyu tightened her grip on the reins, as her expression turned annoyed. "Hmph, we will deal with them when theye in front of us." Wan Ling chuckled from the side, seeing Han Qingyu''s annoyed expression. The mist grew thicker as they ventured deeper into the forest, the atmosphere started to be eerie with each passing second. The forest became denser as only sparse moonlight came down through the dense leaves. Wan Ling''s eyes narrowed as she saw the mist getting thicker as they headed deeper into the forest, "This mist is unnerving. It feels like it''s observing us, or as if it''s alive." Han Qingyu tightened her grip on her spear, her silver aura faintly glowing in the dark of the night as she used it to sense the surroundings, "The air is filled with Qi here, and this mist is being attracted to us due to Qi. No wonder the Mist Shades are said to be drawn to cultivators." Shen Yuan, riding ahead of the group, remained calm. His sharp gaze scanned the forest for any possible ambush or attack from the Mist Shades. Just then, Yue Lan''s voice echoed in his mind, [She is not wrong, Yuan''er. The Qi density here is unnatural for such a barren area. It feels as if Qi is artificially being infused into the forest by someone or something.] ''Hmm, this might exin the artifact the innkeeper mentioned¡ª'' His eyes widened as he noticed a small problem. He pulled the reins as the horse stopped in its tracks, Wan Ling and Han Qingyu also caught up and stopped alongside him. "Hmm? What''s wrong, Brother Yuan?" Han Qingyu asked. Shen Yuan frowned his brows as he tried to think hard to himself, but after not getting anywhere, he turned to Wan Ling, "Do you remember the name of the tavern?" Wan Ling looked at him in confusion before nodding her head, "Of course, wasn''t it named¡ª" She paused as her eyes widened, she couldn''t recall the name of the tavern where they were eating the meal. He then turned to Han Qingyu and asked the same question, "And what about you?" "The name of that tavern was¡ª" Just as she was about to say the name, her brows frowned as even she couldn''t remember the name. "Weird¡­ how weird¡­" Shen Yuan muttered to himself as he fell into thought. But just then, Yue Lan''s voice echoed in his mind. [The tavern was named The Wanderer''s Inn.] Shen Yuan''s eyes widened as he heard her words, ''Right! That''s the name. How can I forget¡ª'' [Hmm, looks like worldws are being used to guard the name of the Inn. Don''t bother, you won''t remember that name even if you try.] Herzy voice echoed in his mind. Continue your journey at empire ''Hmm? Then how can you remember¡ªnever mind, forget I asked it.'' He shook his head while looking at the swirling mist. [Hehehe, how can I leave the chance to boast a little? I can remember the name as the rules of this world do not apply to me. I''m above these mortals'' rules.] ''Yeah yeah, whatever. But who was she? How strong was she even?'' He rubbed his chin while thinking. On the other hand, Han Qingyu and Wan Ling continued thinking about the Inn, but they couldn''t remember the name no matter how hard they tried. [She was one of the strongest beings you have seen, even stronger than your Sect Leader, or even stronger than anyone from this Deste Continent.] ''Now that I think about it, there was an Immortal guy that Mom told me about in the Center Deste Region, I wonder who is stronger between the two of them.'' [I have no idea who this Immortal guy is, so I can''tment on that. But yeah, you better ask what she was doing here.] ''I don''t think she came here for me. It might be du¡ª'' "Senior Brother, should we head back to look at the Tavern?" Wan Ling asked while ncing back at the road. Shen Yuan said while taking out the map, "I guess we can head back bu¡ª" his words stopped as his gazended on the ce where the tavern was supposed to be on the map. "It''s gone¡­" he softly whispered. "Huh? What did you say, Brother Yuan?" Han Qingyu asked whileing closer to him. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw the missing tavern from the map, "How is this possible?" Wan Ling also came forward to see it, but that only made her be shocked. "Well, looks like we won''t be solving this tavern mystery anytime soon." Shen Yuan shook his head before putting the map back and turning back to the deeper forest. Han Qingyu looked at him in confusion before asking, "Won''t we go back to see what is up with that tavern?" "No point in doing so if the innkeeper doesn''t want us to meet with her." He shook his head before moving forward with his mount. Han Qingyu and Wan Ling exchanged nces before moving forward to join up with him. ¡­ As they moved deeper, the mist grew denser and the visibility dropped to mere feet ahead. The horses began to grow restless in the darkness, their nervous whinnies echoing in the silence.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Shen Yuan dismounted first, patting his steed to calm it down. "We''ll continue on foot from here. The horses won''t be able to handle this environment for long." Han Qingyu and Wan Ling exchanged nces before dismounting as well. Wan Ling ced a calming hand on her horse''s neck, whispering softly, "Stay here and wait for us. We''ll be back." "Huh? No, we''re taking them with us." Shen Yuan smiled and said before spending 10,000 chaos coins and putting the three horses in the Beast Companion Space. "Huh?" Wan Ling and Han Qingyu''s eyes widened in shock as they had never heard about a storage ring being able to store a living being inside. Shen Yuan nced at them with a smirk, "Don''t be too shocked, this is nothing much." They could only nod their head along with his words. ¡­ They proceeded on foot, but even the sound of their footsteps seemed to be muffled by the thick mist. All of a sudden, the air grew colder, and an unnatural silence settled over the forest. Shen Yuan raised his hand, signaling them to stop, "Be alert. Something''sing." A faint, chilling wail echoed through the dense trees, causing Han Qingyu and Wan Ling to instinctively grip their weapons tighter. The wail grew louder, and from the mist emerged ghostly figures, their translucent forms glowing faintly in the dim light. "Mist Shades," Wan Ling whispered, unsheathing her sword as it pulsed with Radiant Qi. Chapter 266 Mist Shades Han Qingyu looked at the Mist Shades changing direction and going after Wan Ling, "Don''t pour so much Qi out, they are being attracted to our Qi." Wan Ling hurriedly withdrew all of her Qi before shing with her sword to attack the Mist Shades. But her sword passed right through them without affecting them in the slightest. "Dummy! At least use a little bit of Qi, the Radiant Qi might have a good effect against these Spectral Creatures." She said before gripping her spear tightly and infusing it with a bit of her Wind and Fire Qi. Her spear crackled with dual elements as she swung it down hard on top of one of the Mist Shades, but that proved ineffective as it passed right through the Spectral Creatures. "Tsk, fire, and wind are useless," she muttered before hurriedly dodging their attacks. Wan Ling enveloped her sword with Radiant Qi, her sword gleaming with a holy light as she shed one of the Mist Shades. SCEEECHHHH! The Mist Shade screamed loudly as it felt its skin burning, but due to Wan Ling''s low cultivation base, she wasn''t able to deal a fatal wound. Shen Yuan looked at Han Qingyu and Wan Ling struggling to fight them off, while the Mist Shades continued to pour in their direction due to the Qi density increasing as they both attacked by infusing weapons with Qi. "Well, looks like it''s about time I try that." Shen Yuan''s eyes narrowed as his Thunder Qi surged, crackling across his skin like dancing serpents. He had suspected Thunder to be effective against these spectral entities. After all, thunder and lightning often represented a form of purification and raw destructive power, perfect for dealing with ghostly threats like Mist Shades. Exhaling calmly, he reached out, forming an arrow of condensed Thunder Qi atop his bowstring. The air sizzled, and a high-pitched hum filled the forest as he took aim at one of the Mist Shades hovering near Han Qingyu. ZAP! A bright sh illuminated the misty forest as Shen Yuan released the arrow, which shed through the dense fog and struck the Mist Shade squarely. The creature let out a distorted shriek, its form flickering wildly before dispersing into wisps of mist that quickly dissipated. Han Qingyu and Wan Ling gaped at the sight. A single thunder-infused shot had obliterated the spectral being. Feeling motivated, Shen Yuan swiftly notched another Thunder Qi arrow, keeping the rest of his Qi suppressed except for the portion being utilized on the bow to wield this technique. Wan Ling nodded, her eyes shing with realization. "So thunder is their weakness. If I can infuse my Radiant Qi with a hint of that electricity¡­" "Don''t risk it if you can''t handle thunder essence, you don''t have thunder affinity," Shen Yuan said calmly. "Just hold them off, I''ll take care of the rest." Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire He loosed another arrow, striking two Mist Shades clustered together, their ghostly cries vanishing with a boom of thunder. Han Qingyu gritted her teeth but followed Shen Yuan''s advice. Instead of trying to infuse other elements, she opted to distract the Mist Shades with her fire Qi, using minimal Qi to avoid attracting too many at once. With precise thrusts of her spear, she herded them into clumps, allowing Shen Yuan to pick them off with lethal efficiency. Wan Ling, on the other hand, attempted to increase the density of Radiant Qi in her sword without letting it spill outside. Though not as effective as Shen Yuan''s arrows, it still made a difference in the Mist Shades. One by one, the Mist Shades fell to the thunderous onughts of Shen Yuan and Wan Ling. The forest resounded with faint crackling and the dying wails of spectral entities unable to withstand the purifying lightning. Soon, the immediate area around the trio grew quiet again, the air became heavier with mist due to the deaths of so many Mist Shades. Wan Ling and Han Qingyu caught their breath, and Shen Yuan allowed the faint arcs of Thunder Qi to subside. "Good work," he said softly, nodding to the two of them. "Let''s keep moving. The clearing should be closer. The sooner we reach that safe zone, the better." Han Qingyu rolled her shoulders, relieved after that tiresome battle. "I''m d we found their weakness. Without it, this would''ve been a nightmare, especially since I was nearly useless in this battle." Wan Ling wiped the sweat from her brow and adjusted her grip on her sword. "I can''t believe you found out about their weakness so soon. I guess that''s why you''re the Senior Brother," she said with a small grin. Shen Yuan chuckled softly. "It''s nothing impressive, I have just read a lot of books, that''s all." [Books or novels?] ''Same thing.'' He chuckled inwardly. The group continued onward, the mist still thick but now much calmer after the waves of Mist Shades had been decimated. ¡­ asionally, another group of Shades would appear, drawn by the vibrant Qi of the three of them. But each time, Shen Yuan''s thunderous Qi made short work of them. Han Qingyu and Wan Ling focused on providing support for him from the sides so he could deal with them swiftly. As they delved deeper, the density of Qi in the air only increased. The trees grew taller and more twisted, their bark covered in strange moss that glowed faintly. The ground beneath became softer, lined with damp leaves and wet soil. Eventually, the oppressive darkness of the forest began to lighten. Wan Ling''s eyes widened as she noticed a subtle glow ahead. "Is that¡­ the clearing?" Han Qingyu squinted her eyes as she peered through the mist, her silver hair falling over her shoulder as she leaned forward. "There''s definitely lighting from up ahead."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Shen Yuan nodded, his body rxing slightly. "Yes. It must be the ce the innkeeper mentioned." They continued cautiously, dealing with the asional waves of Mist Shades. During each sh, Shen Yuan''s thunder arrows exterminated the ghostly foes, while Han Qingyu and Wan Ling made sure to gather up the Mist Shades in a group so Shen Yuan could make short work of them. Soon, they broke through thest part of the dense forest and stepped into a wide clearing. The fog here was thinner, allowing them to see a patch of lush grass illuminated by strange, glowing flowers. Han Qingyu exhaled a long sigh, lowering her spear, "Finally some visibility." Wan Ling looked around, intrigued by the strange ce, "I can feel the Qi here, it''s¡­filled with a low amount of Thunder energy?" Shen Yuan scanned the clearing thoroughly, his expression contemtive. "This must be the safe zone. Let''s set up camp here for now and rest for a while. But keep your guard up¡ªwe still don''t know what that artifact is or if something stronger is guarding it." Han Qingyu looked around in the surroundings before saying, "What do you think the artifact is? And from the looks of it, it is a Thunder-rted Artifact seeing how it is able to keep the Mist Shades away and this faint Thunder Qi in the surroundings." Shen Yuan rubbed his chin, "Hmm¡­ we will have to look around and see what it is first." Chapter 267 Separate Space He curiously nced around the clearing. The safe zone was muchrger than he had anticipated, stretching out into a wide open field surrounded by towering trees that seemed to form a natural barrier against the dense mist. "We should take a look around first," Shen Yuan said with a thoughtful tone. "If there''s an artifact here, it''s likely hidden somewhere in this clearing." Han Qingyu looked at him in confusion, "But wouldn''t it have been discovered by the other cultivators if it was here?" Shen Yuan lightly smiled at her words, "If it was that easy to find, then of course it would have been found by now." Wan Ling''s eyes lit up, "Are you saying it is being protected or hidden by something?" Shen Yuan looked at the giant trees which seemed to be nted in a particr order before saying, "Let''s take a look around." Han Qingyu nodded her head. "Let''s split up and search. If you find anything out of ce here, call out." Wan Ling agreed, unsheathing her sword just in case. "Be careful. Even if this is a safe zone, we can''t assume there won''t be traps or other dangers such as cultivators or bandits." Stay updated via empire Shen Yuan smiled, seeing the two of them being cautious as he also walked towards a different direction than the two of them. "Hmm, let''s see whose luck will be better this time around." Shen Yuan softly muttered while smiling slightly. ¡­ Wan Ling went towards the eastern side of the clearing, her sword faintly glowing with Radiant Qi as she gripped it tightly. Her eyes scanned the area carefully, searching for anything unusual. As she moved, the faint hum of the Thunder Qi in the air grew slightly louder. She abruptly stopped in her tracks, her gaze locking onto a patch of ground surrounded by towering trees. Unlike the rest of the clearing, this particr spot seemed out of ce. The trees were unnaturally longer than the rest of the trees despite being close together, their bark seemed to be infused with thunder essence. "Senior Brother! Sister Han! Over here!" Wan Ling called out, her voice echoing through the quiet clearing. Shen Yuan raised his head as her voice reached him, "Oh? Wan Ling as the lucky one?" [You need to go there to confirm it.] "Heh, I''m sure it''s the right ce." He shook his head as his thunder affinity was pulling him towards that direction, but since Wan Ling had already gone there, he didn''t want to rob her of her opportunity to perform excellently. Han Qingyu also approached after hearing her voice. As she saw the two of them approaching, she pointed at the strange circle of trees, "This ce feels¡­ different. Like it''s disturbing the bnce of this clearing." Shen Yuan''s gaze sharpened as he observed the area. He stepped closer, his Thunder Qi subtly resonating with the energy emanating from the trees. After a moment of silence, he smiled faintly. "This isn''t just a random spot. It''s a naturally formed formation." Han Qingyu furrowed her brows, gripping her spear tightly. "A naturally formed formation? What does that mean?" "It''s rare," Shen Yuan began, crouching near the edge of the circle to inspect the ground. "Formations like this are usually man-made, crafted to guard, trap, or enhance something. But sometimes, in ces rich with Spiritual Qi, nature itself shapes formations over time. This one seems to have grown around the Thunder Qi. It''s like this part of the forest has been severed from the rest, shielded by thews." Wan Ling tilted her head, her curiosity piqued. "Does that mean there''s something inside worth protecting?" Shen Yuan nodded. "Most likely. And judging by the intensity of the Thunder Qi here, it''s probably rted to lightning. The formation is designed to keep intruders out." Han Qingyu looked at the crackling air, her expression thoughtful. "Then how do we get in?" Shen Yuan stood up straight and said with a confident smirk. "Leave that to me. I''ll use my spatial skills to bypass the barrier." Wan Ling''s eyes widened slightly. "Spatial skills? I''ve heard of cultivators with those abilities, but they''re incredibly rare. You have Spatial Skills, Senior Brother? But weren''t you a thunder cultivator? Or Fire? I thought you had Fire and Thunder as Dual Elements." Han Qingyu''s eyes opened in shock as well. It was not every day that they heard of the legendary Spatial Cultivators after all. "I have heard that Spatial Cultivators are so rare that an entire zone might not even have a single one. You are truly incredible, Brother Yuan." But her voice turned worried as she looked at the invisible formation, "Are you sure you can handle it? What if the formation reacts aggressively?" Shen Yuan chuckled softly and looked at Wan Ling, "Haha, I have more secrets than you guys can count. No need to get so shocked." His gaze then turned to Han Qingyu, "As for the formation, I will just improvise if something happens." Taking a deep breath, Shen Yuan focused his Qi, activating the Void Steps technique. His body shimmered briefly as his spatial Qi intertwined with the natural energy of the barrier. With precise control, he ced his foot forward, stepping into the barrier. The air around him rippled like water disturbed by a pebble. The barrier seemed to sense someone intruding inside as it began rippling softly, faint arcs of lightning sparkled against his Spatial Qi as the resistance increased, but Shen Yuan improvised. Using Spatial Distortion, he bent the fabric of space around him, creating a narrow passage through the formation''s defenses.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Slowly, he passed through the barrier, disappearing from Han Qingyu''s and Wan Ling''s view. Once inside the barrier, the air grew thicker with Thunder Qi, crackling softly in the silence. Shen Yuan found himself in a smaller clearing surrounded by tall, blue-tinged trees in a circle. At the center of the clearing, embedded in the ground stood a spear. Its dark shaft pulsed faintly with energy, while arcs of lightning shed past its surface, illuminating the ground surrounding it. Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up as his gazended on the spear, "Damn, that''s a cool spear." He cautiously approached the spear, the hum of the weapon growing louder with each step. "So this is what created this formation," he softly murmured while looking at the sleek body of the spear, "A Thunder Spear." The energy emanating from the weapon was powerful and wild, but Shen Yuan could sense something more¡ªa consciousness, faintly present inside the spear. The spear had a weapon spirit, his eyes lit up as even his own Crimson Devourer had not reached such a level yet. "A WEAPON SPIRIT!" He walked forward and reached out to grab the spear. ZAPP! His hand flung back as the Thunder Spear refused to allow someone unworthy to wield it. Raising an eyebrow, he calmed down and looked at the spear again, "You''re a proud one, huh?" Thunder Qi seemed to be getting exuded from his body as his eyes focused on the dark body of the spear, "Don''t worry, I''m not here to take you forcefully. I will show you what I''m made of." Chapter 268 Tyrants Wrath He closed his eyes, slowly circting the Thunder God Codex throughout his body. His Thunder Qi surged, intertwining with not only the surrounding Qi but also the Qi of the Spear itself. The ground beneath him crackled with electricity, and arcs of lightning shot all around him, striking the trees and the invisible walls of the formation. The spear hummed intensely at first, releasing a pulse of energy that seemed to devour Shen Yuan, but he let the attack hit his body. The thunder seemed to be absorbed into his body as his bloodline calmed down after devouring the foreign energy. He didn''t flinch back even a step as he stood his ground, "Let''s step up the game, huh." He smirked before activating his Thunder Intent. He wasn''t forcing his will upon the weapon; instead, he was trying to harmonize with it, allowing both of their powers to flow freely and naturally. The spear''s resistance gradually subsided, the violent crackles softening into a steady hum. Shen Yuan opened his eyes, his gaze meeting the glowing spear in front of him. Slowly, he extended his hand towards the spear, wrapping his hand around it as the spear seemed to grow silent. The moment Shen Yuan''s hand wrapped around the spear''s shaft, the world around him seemed to freeze. A deafening hum echoed through the clearing, and the air became filled with an oppressive energy. The spear pulsed in his hand, its lightning surging wildly as if rejecting its new wielder at thest moment. Shen Yuan narrowed his eyes as the surge of energy intensified. "Huh? You are not going to make this easy on me, are you?" he muttered under his breath. The spear''s glow brightened as if responding to him, and the entire separate space trembled violently. Thunder Qi spiraled outward, creating shockwaves that crackled through the barrier and struck the surrounding trees, splitting them apart. The invisible barrier itself began to distort and ripple chaotically. Han Qingyu and Wan Ling, waiting outside the barrier, staggered as the ground beneath them shook violently. "What''s happening in there?!" Han Qingyu eximed, her grip tightening on her spear. Wan Ling''s eyes darted toward the distorting barrier, her voice filled with concern. "It''s as if the entire formation is copsing!" Inside, Shen Yuan gritted his teeth as the spear unleashed its full might. Bolts of lightning struck his body repeatedly, searing his skin and bones with their raw energy. Yet, instead of resisting the energy, Shen Yuan allowed it to flow through him, trusting his Thunder God Codex and his own affinity with lightning to absorb and harmonize with the spear''s power. "You want to test me?" Shen Yuan growled, his voice cold despite the pain. "Fine. Let''s see if you can keep up." He activated his Thunder God Codex to its fullest extent, his Thunder Qi surging wildly around his body in response to the spear''s relentless assault. His body crackled with electricity, and arcs of lightning danced across his skin, merging with the energy from the spear. His muscles cracked, but he stood still, not even frowning in pain. Suddenly, the spear''s energy shifted its movements. Instead of attacking his body, it began to refine him and his core. The raw lightning coursing through his body turned into a purifying force, breaking down impurities and strengthening every fiber of his being before heading to his core and re-refining it again and again. His meridians glowed faintly, crackling with Thunder Qi as his internal energy spiraled upward. Shen Yuan''s cultivation base began to rise like crazy. The oppressive energy surrounding him felt like a storm, battering his core and pushing it to its limits. Yet, with each wave of energy, his Origin Core grew stronger, more refined, as if the spear itself was guiding him to a higher realm of purity.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om But at this time, even his Purity Physique joined the battle as its purity Qi began to re-refine the core alongside the thunder. The pressure inside the space reached its peak, and the barrier surrounding the formation could no longer withstand the energy. With a deafening roar, the entire separate space exploded outward, sending a shockwave rippling through the entire mist forest. The barrier shattered into countless fragments of light, scattering into the mist. Han Qingyu and Wan Ling shielded themselves as the shockwave passed by them. When the dust settled, they cautiously looked up, their eyes widening at the sight before them. Shen Yuan stood in the center of the now-exposed clearing with tattered clothes, his figure radiating an intense, crackling aura of Thunder Qi. The spear in his hand glowed brightly, arcs of lightning dancing around it as if it had fully submitted to him. "Brother Yuan!" Han Qingyu called out, rushing toward him. "Are you alright?" Wan Ling followed closely, her expression a mix of concern and awe. "Senior Brother, what happened to you?" Shen Yuan opened his eyes, a faint smirk ying on his lips. His presence felt entirely different from before¡ªstronger, sharper, and more¡­ wild. "I''m fine," he said with a calm voice that seemed to be brimming with energy. "The spear just wanted to see if I was worthy." As he spoke, the spear pulsed lightly in his hand, as if acknowledging his words. The wild energy it once exuded had now be calm, perfectly harmonized with Shen Yuan''s own Thunder Qi. Wan Ling''s eyes sparkled as she looked at the weapon. "It''s beautiful. Does it have a name?" Shen Yuan nced at the sleek, crackling spear, and at the bottom of the shaft, a name was carved in bold writing. "Tyrant''s Wrath." He softly said before looking at the two of them, "Its name is Tyrant''s Wrath. Since it already has a name then there''s no point in giving it a new one." Han Qingyu''s gaze shifted from the body of the spear to Shen Yuan, "Your aura¡­ it''s different than before. Did your cultivation advance?" Shen Yuan nodded, gripping Tyrant''s Wrath tightly, "The spear refined my body and core. I''ve broken through to the 5th level of the Origin Core Creation Realm." Both Han Qingyu and Wan Ling gasped in astonishment. Advancing in cultivation so quickly was no small feat, and to do so under such conditions was nothing short of extraordinary. [Hmm¡­ not bad, Yuan''er,] Yue Lan''s voice chimed in his mind, a hint of approval in her tone. [You really found a treasure this time around. It''s a Tier 6 weapon. Most sects in the Eastern Deste Region don''t have such a high level of weapon. And this one is special as it has a Weapon Spirit.] Yue Lan seemed to think quite highly of the spear, [You can keep upgrading it with different materials and with that Weapon Spirit your spear will always be a step above other weapons in the same category.] Continue your journey on empire Shen Yuan nodded his head internally, ''I know, this spear¡­ it''s way out of my league right now. I can hardly use any of its powers.'' [That''s natural, only someone at the level of your Sect Ancestor can make use of such a weapon. But well, you might be able to use it before reaching that level, hehe.] Chapter 269 Leaving the Forest Shen Yuan shook his head before turning back to Han Qingyu and Wan Ling, "Cough, now, if you guys don''t mind, I would like to change my clothes," he said with a shameless smile as he was nearly naked with patches of clothes all over his body. His robe was incinerated due to the intense thunder inside the formation. Wan Ling and Han Qingyu''s faces turned bright red as they saw his naked body, they hurriedly turned around, "Y-Y-You could have said so before." Shen Yuan shook his head before ncing at the spear, ''Now where should I put it?'' But before he could ce it in his storage ring or system space, the spear transformed into a blinding light and stuck to his shoulder. "Oh? Not bad at all." Shen Yuan said, looking at the tattoo of Tyrant''s Wrath pasted on his shoulder. "So that''s where it will stay from now on. Looks like Weapon Spirits are unique in this." He nodded his head before washing his body with a water technique and ripping away the rest of his clothes. The girls flinched as they heard the clothes-ripping sound, "Don''t turn around, I''m still naked." Shen Yuan''s yful voice echoed from behind the group. "Ugh, just hurry up." Both of them seemed to be praying the same thing, yet wanting to turn around at that second. Shen Yuan felt he had had enough of teasing them and put on his clothes. He wore the same old white robe of his. "Okay, you guys can turn around now." He softly said before walking in another direction. Discover hidden tales at empire Han Qingyu and Wan Ling seemed to heave a sigh of relief, yet their eyes betrayed a hint of disappointment at such a golden opportunity. "Huh? Where are you going, Senior Brother??" Wan Ling asked before walking behind him. "We already got the treasure here. Now this ce won''t be a safe ce for long, we need to head out now." He slowly exined. Han Qingyu nodded her head in realization before shaking her head with pity, "Too bad that the rest of the cultivators won''t be able to make use of such a wonderful ce to rest." Shen Yuan smiled lightly, hearing her words, "There is no need to pity them, most cultivators have blood on their hands, so no one is truly innocent." Han Qingyu and Wan Ling looked at him for a second before nodding in agreement. They all left towards the other part of the forest. "Let''s continue on our way since resting is out of the question for now." Han Qingyu and Wan Ling nodded their heads and followed after him. The three of them moved cautiously through the forest, the mist had started to travel into the clearing as well due to the absence of Tyrant''s Wrath. But it was not something for Shen Yuan and the rest to be concerned about as they continued towards the exit. ¡­ Shen Yuan moved at the front, with Tyrant''s Wrath nowzily resting on his shoulder, faint crackles could be seen surrounding the spear as it kept the mist away from the group. Han Qingyu and Wan Ling followed closely behind him, their weapons ready as they observed the surroundings with caution. "It feels like the Mist Shades are gathering inrge numbers now," Wan Ling muttered, her grip tightening on her sword. She nced at the back of Shen Yuan, "Is it due to that spear?" Han Qingyu nodded, her spear faintly glowing with azure. "It might be acting as a beacon since it has suppressed those monsters for so long." Shen Yuan nced over his shoulder with a faint smile. "Don''t worry. Me and my buddy here will take care of them. You two just focus on covering the sides." As if waiting for him to speak, distorted wails filled the air, and ghostly figures emerged from the mist, their translucent bodies flickering ominously. Hundreds of Mist Shades appeared from all directions, their bodies slowly floating towards the group. Han Qingyu raised her spear in defense, her aura condensing around her body, "They''reing." Wan Ling channeled her Radiant Qi into her de, her eyes nervously looking at the absurd number of monsters, "There are so many of them¡­" Shen Yuan stepped forward, the hum of Tyrant''s Wrath increasing as arcs of lightning cracked along its shaft. He pulled it forward from his shoulder, pointing it straight at the Mist Shades, "Let''s see how they will handle this." With a smooth motion, he spun the spear in a wide arc, releasing a wave of Thunder Qi that surged through the mist like a raging storm. The Mist Shades screamed as the lightning tore through their forms, obliterating several of them in a single strike. The remaining Shades'' ghostly eyes flickered with hesitation, their movements faltering as if sensing the danger ahead. But the vibrant Qi being released by the trio''s bodies was too much for them to ignore, so they surged forward once more. "Stand back," Shen Yuan calmly said, his voice filled with confidence despite the chaotic situation ahead. He gripped Tyrant''s Wrath tightly and dashed forward, his movements swift and precise. The spear crackled with energy as he thrust it into the heart of a Mist Shade, the impact releasing a burst of thunder that ripped through the surrounding monsters. Each strike of Tyrant''s Wrath was devastating, but due to Shen Yuan''s low cultivation base, the spear''s own grade was reduced to match Shen Yuan''s level. Yet it alone overwhelmed the ghostly creatures. Bolts of lightning shot out with every swing, turning the Mist Shades into wisps of mist. Han Qingyu and Wan Ling stood back as he asked them to do so, their faces filled with awe as they saw the disy of domination. "He is just as dominating as he was in the Mystique Realm¡­" Wan Ling softly said, looking at Shen Yuan''s current disy of power.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Han Qingyu curiously turned her face to look at Wan Ling, but didn''tment on her as she looked back at Shen Yuan and said, "His mastery of the spear seemed to be growing in real-time. Has he already learned the Spear Intent?" Shen Yuan didn''t mind the iing flood of Mist Shades as he made short work of most of them without even using a single Thunder Technique; his spear art alone was sufficient with the inherent thunder nature of his spear to take care of them. After several intense minutes, thest of the Mist Shades dissipated, leaving the forest eerily silent once more. Shen Yuan lowered his spear, the arcs of lightning subsiding as he turned back to Han Qingyu and Wan Ling. "That should take care of them for now," he said with a calm smile, as if the recent battle was nothing but a warm-up for him. Wan Ling stepped forward, her expression a mix of awe and relief, "Senior Brother, you''re amazing. The way you wield that spear¡­ it''s like it was made for you." Shen Yuan chuckled softly, resting Tyrant''s Wrath on his shoulder. "It''s a good weapon indeed." Wan Ling tilted her head as she continued questioning him, "But weren''t you a sword cultivator? I remember you used a sword during our time in the Mystique Realm." Chapter 270 Volcanic Fire Region He smirked, "I know a little bit of quite a lot of things, but yes, I have learned both Swordsmanship and Spearsmanship." Han Qingyu approached as well, her silver eyes shining with awe. "You handled those Shades effortlessly. And a spear is not even your main weapon, I can''t help but think how strong you really are." "I also wonder how strong I really am." He chuckled while looking at the forest ahead, "Let''s keep moving. The exit should be close now." The trio continued through the forest, their journey interrupted asionally by smaller groups of Mist Shades. Each time, Shen Yuan decimated them with Tyrant''s Wrath, despite the restrictions ced upon it, its power was evident from the ughter itmitted. ¡­ After what felt like hours, the eerie mist began to thin, and the dense canopy of trees parted to give way for a clearer path. The faint glow of moonlight filtered through the trees, signaling that they were nearing the edge of the forest. Finally, they emerged from the misty forest, stepping onto a wide, open in bathed in the soft light of dawn. The air felt lighter, and the faint hum of Thunder Qi that had filled the forest was now gone. "We made it," Wan Ling said with a sigh of relief, lowering her sword. "Finally." Han Qingyu stretched her arms, her silver hair glinting in the morning light. "It''s good to be out of that ce. The Mist Shades were getting on my nerves." Shen Yuan smiled faintly and, with a flick of his wrist, the trio''s horses appeared, their sleek forms unharmed after being stored in the Beast Companion Space. "Let''s not waste time anylonger now," Shen Yuan said, mounting his Northern Wind Horse. "The Volcanic Fire Region is still a long journey from here." Han Qingyu and Wan Ling nodded, quickly mounting their horses and following Shen Yuan as he led the way across the ins. Shen Yuan looked at the rising sun, "Volcanic Fire Region huh¡­ let''s see if it can give me a surprise as grand as my Tyrant''s Wrath spear." The tattoo on his shoulder pulsed as if disdaining even the mere idea of finding something of its level in this barren ce. ''Haha, no need to look down on this ce, it has quite a lot of good stuff, just look at yourself.'' Shen Yuan internally sent a message to the spear before continuing on his way. ¡­ Continue your adventure with empire The trio continued onward, the cool air of the ins gradually bing a dry, heated breeze. The horizon shimmered with waves of heat, and the faint outlines of volcanoes loomed in the distance like dormant giants slumbering. The atmosphere grew heated with each step closer to the Volcanic Fire Region. Shen Yuan, riding at the front, squinted at the distant peaks. "It seems we''re approaching the outskirts of the region. The environment is already changing." Wan Ling rode up beside him, her cheeks slightly flushed from the heat. "The air here feels so different. It''s heavier, like there''s fire energy permeating everything."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Han Qingyu looked refreshed, as she said with a smile, "This heat is amazing. I can feel the Fire Qi growing thicker with each mile." Shen Yuan nced back at them with a faint smile. "The Volcanic Fire Region is known for its extreme conditions. It''s said that only cultivators with high tolerance to fire or those with a fire affinity can survive here for extended periods." Han Qingyu raised an eyebrow. "And what about Wan Ling?" Shen Yuan chuckled. "I will take care of her. Besides, she will adapt quickly once we''re inside." Wan Ling confidently nodded her head despite her flushed cheeks. As they continued, the terrain began to change. The lush greenery of the ins transformed into rocky, barrennd, and the air grew hotter with every passing moment. Shen Yuan slowed his horse and nced back at the two of them. "We''re close now. It''s time to prepare," he said before flicking his wrist. The three horses disappeared into his Beast Companion Space, leaving the group falling for a short second. Han Qingyu and Wan Ling dismounted gracefully, their expressions turning serious as they adjusted their gear and prepared for the challenges ahead. Wan Ling nced at Shen Yuan, who stood at the edge of the fire region, his gaze fixed on the distant volcanoes. "Senior Brother, do you know what we''ll encounter here?" Shen Yuan nodded his head. "The Volcanic Fire Region is full of opportunities and dangers. The heat alone is a natural barrier for most normal cultivators to stay away, but there are also fire beasts, rogue cultivators, and treacherous terrain to deal with." Han Qingyu gripped her spear tightly. "And what are we looking for here? Another treasure?" Shen Yuan smirked. "Not just any treasure. The Volcanic Fire Region is rumored to have rare Fire Essence Orbs, which can enhance cultivation techniques and refine weapons. But that''s just one of many possibilities of what we can find here." Wan Ling''s eyes sparkled. "me Essence Crystals¡­ If we can find some, it would be a huge boon." Shen Yuan nodded. "Exactly. But don''t get too excited. The closer we get to the volcanic cores, the more dangerous it will be. Stick close to me." The group stepped into the fire region, their boots crunching against the scorched ground. The heat was oppressive, waves of it rising from the earth and distorting the air around them. Despite the harsh conditions, Shen Yuan''s expression remained calm, his own fire affinity shielding him from the worst of the heat. Wan Ling followed suit, using her own Qi to form a protective barrier. Even so, beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she adjusted to the rising temperatures. On the other hand, Han Qingyu walked normally due to her high Fire Affinity that she got due to her Azure Phoenix Physique. Wan Ling nced at Han Qingyu, her eyes subtly shing with a hint of jealousy at Han Qingyu''s talent. Shen Yuan''s sharp gaze noticed it as he smiled, but he didn''tment on it as he had prepared something special for her in this ce. As they ventured deeper into the region, the ground beneath their feet became uneven, with cracks revealing moltenva bubbling below. The sound of distant eruptions echoed through the air, and the faint glow of magma lit up thendscape beautifully in fiery hues. Shen Yuan closely observed the area, looking for any possible danger, "Be on guard. Anything can attack you here, the beasts might be below the rock or in theva." Just as he finished speaking, a low growl rumbled from behind a cluster of jagged rocks. The trio stopped in their tracks, their senses heightened as they sensed some movement. From behind the rocks emerged a pack of me hounds, their bodies made up of flickering mes and their eyes glowed like moltenva. All of them were in the Origin Core Creation Realm. Thergest of the pack, a ming Alpha, snarled at the intruders in his territory, its fiery mane softly burning. The Alpha was at thete stage of the Origin Core Creation Realm. Chapter 271 Taking Care of Hounds "Looks like we''ve gotpany," Shen Yuan said with a calm smirk, taking out Tyrant''s Wrath from the tattoo. "Stay sharp. These beasts are fast and their attacks can burn through normal Qi defense." His mind then changed as he looked at the two of them, "Hmm, Ling''er, you will handle three of the wolves, Qingyu, you will handle the Alpha. I will take care of the rest, got it?" "Yes!" Wan Ling excitedly nodded as she felt sweet in her heart when Shen Yuan called out her name. Han Qingyu looked at Wan Ling and felt annoyed. "Yes," she said, nodding her head looking at Shen Yuan and flexing her spear before heading towards the alpha. Shen Yuan chuckled, looking at the two of them. His eyes shined with confidence as he raised his Tyrant''s Wrath. "Let''s make this quick," he said, stepping towards the group of hounds. The pack of me hounds growled as they lunged forward, their fiery forms leaving tails of fire on the rocky terrain. Wan Ling gripped her sword tightly, the de glowing with radiant light infused with her Radiant Qi. Shen Yuan allowed three me hounds to get past him as they darted toward her, their molten eyes zing with hostility. "Let''s see how you handle this," Wan Ling muttered under her breath, channeling her Qi into the sword. She dashed forward with a burst of speed, her sword shing in a precise arc. "Radiant Lotus sh!" she yelled, releasing a crescent of Radiant light from her de. The radiant energy collided with one of the me hounds, searing its fiery body and causing it to yelp in pain as its form wavered. The other two hounds lunged at her, their fiery ws shing toward her. Wan Ling sidestepped quickly, using her agility to avoid the attack. Her movements were fluid as she spun on the spot and struck again, each strike releasing bursts of radiant light that burned the beasts'' ming forms. However, the me hounds wouldn''t die down easily. One lunged at her with its maw wide open, mes erupting from its jaws. Wan Ling''s eyes narrowed slightly as she activated a defensive technique from her sect. "Radiant Lotus Shield!" A glowing lotus bloomed around her, intercepting the hound''s fiery attack and reflecting the mes back at it. With a swift block, she thrust her sword into the hound''s chest, its body dissipating into flickering embers. "One down," she said with an icy tone, turning her attention to the remaining two. ¡­ Han Qingyu faced the Alpha me Hound, her silver eyes shined as she activated her Azure Phoenix Physique. Her dual-element Qi¡ªwind and fire¡ªmanifested around her, creating a vortex of searing mes and slicing winds. The Alpha hound growled, its fiery mane burning brighter as it charged at her with incredible speed. Enjoy new stories from empire Han Qingyu met its charge head-on, thrusting her spear forward with a burst of wind-imbued Qi. "Azure Tempest Strike!" The spear''s tip glowed with azure light as a powerful gust of wind shot forward, colliding with the Alpha Hound and pushing it back. The beast growled, shaking off the attack as it circled her, its molten eyes glowing with intelligence. "You are much stronger than the Mist Shades," Han Qingyu said, a smirk forming on her lips. "Good. I was getting bored of them." The Alpha Hound roared and leaped into the air, mes erupting from its body as it descended on her like a meteor. Han Qingyu spun her spear, channeling both her elements into a single, focused strike. "Azure Phoenix Lance!" she shouted, her spear surrounded by a vortex of fire and wind. She thrust it upward, meeting the Alpha Hound''s fiery descent. The two of them shed mid-air, creating a shockwave that sent sparks and embers flying in all directions. The Alpha Houndnded heavily, its fiery mane dimming slightly from the impact of the attack. Han Qingyu didn''t let up, using her agility to close the distance between them. She unleashed a series of rapid strikes, her spear burning with fiery energy, which was infused with Wind Qi, and overwhelmed the Alpha Hound''s defenses. With a final, decisive strike, she pierced the Alpha Hound''s chest, the beast letting out a bestial roar before its body dissolved into embers, leaving only a glowing crystal. ¡­ Shen Yuan stood in the center of the pack, ten me hounds circling him, their fiery bodies radiating intense heat around him. He twirled Tyrant''s Wrath in his hand, the spear crackling with thunder as he smirked. "Alright, let''s get started," he said confidently, stepping forward. The first me hound lunged at him, but Shen Yuan avoided it by sidestepping effortlessly, swinging his spear in a wide arc. Lightning surged from the spear, striking the hound and reducing it to embers instantly. Another three charged at him simultaneously, their ws glowing with molten energy. Shen Yuan nted his spear into the ground with a thud, releasing a burst of Thunder Qi that sent arcs of lightning surging outward. The bolts struck the hounds, their fiery forms shattering under the overwhelming power at once. "Four down," he muttered, gripping his spear tightly as the remaining hounds circled him cautiously. One of the hounds attempted to nk him, only for Shen Yuan''s sharp eyes to catch the movement. With a swift motion, he thrust Tyrant''s Wrath into the ground and activated one of its abilities. "Thunderfield Domain!" The area around him crackled with electricity, forming a dome of lightning that trapped the remaining hounds. The beasts howled in pain as the lightning coursed through their bodies, their forms flickering and fading. Shen Yuan stepped forward, his spear glowing brightly as he channeled his Thunder Intent into the spear for a final strike. "Heavenly Thunder Spear!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om He leapt into the air, bringing his spear down with a thunderous roar. The impact sent a massive bolt of lightning surging through the ground, obliterating the remaining hounds in a brilliant sh of light. As the lightning subsided, Shen Yuan stood amidst the rocky terrain, the ground scorched and crackling with residual Thunder Qi. He turned to see Wan Ling and Han Qingyu finishing up with their battles, both of them won without injuries but were visibly fatigued. "Good work," Shen Yuan said, walking over to them with Tyrant''s Wrath resting on his shoulder. "How are you holding up?" Wan Ling wiped the sweat from her brow as she replied to him with a smile despite her exhaustion. "Senior Brother, I handled them just fine." Han Qingyu gave a small nod, her silver eyes gleaming with pride. "The Alpha wasn''t much of a challenge." Shen Yuan chuckled softly. "Of course, he wasn''t, you both were in the same cultivation stage, while Ling''er had to fight one major stage above and multiple beasts at that." Wan Ling''s eyes lit up at Shen Yuan''s recognition as she smiled sweetly, Han Qingyu gave Wan Ling a side eye as she pulled out a glowing crystal. "Brother Yuan, that Alpha Hound dropped it, do you know what it is?" Shen Yuan curiously took the crystal and observed it carefully, "Oh? Mutated Beast Core? Those are quite rare in the outside world, but in extreme environments like this, they can indeed be found." Chapter 272 Infernal Flame Beast He handed it back to her while saying, "Keep it on yourself, it can be used to forge good equipment forter use or it can even be used in alchemy." Wan Ling gave it a curious look, but that was all as Fire wasn''t her focus as she didn''t have that affinity, she would rather have Shen Yuan''s praise than a flimsy treasure. Han Qingyu looked at the metal for a bit before asking, "Weren''t you an alchemist, Brother Yuan? Are you sure you don''t need it for alchemy?" Shen Yuan smiled and shook his head, "I don''t have any use for it now since it will be a while before I start practicing alchemy again, until then I will find more and better materials as well." Han Qingyu nodded her head and ced it in her storage ring. [You are really improving huh, changing Heavenly Thunder Palm into a spear art mid-battle, that is quite impressive.] ''Hah, you underestimate me far too much, I''m not only changing my thunder arts but also creating a thunder technique of my own.'' He smirked and replied as the group began walking again. Yue Lan''s voice rang in his mind again, [Hmm? Ah, I see, with your King Level Thunder affinity and Supreme Tier Comprehension, it is indeed in the realm of possibility for you to create your own Spear Art.] ''Yes, and that art will be based on Tyrant''s Wrath, so I can make use of it the best.'' He slightly said. [But I thought you would make a Sword Art before any other type of art.] Shen Yuan nodded his head in understanding, ''I would have done that but Heaven and Earth Severing is already good enough for my Sword.'' [That''s true, it will only increase in power as your strength increases until the peak of the mortal world. You still have quite a lot of forms to master in it as well.] Shen Yuan shook his head as he didn''t want to think about that right now, instead, he focused ahead and began observing his surroundings. ¡­ The three of them advanced deeper into the Volcanic Fire Region, the air growing hotter with every step. After walking for quite a while, Wan Ling crouched near a fissure in the scorched ground, her eyes catching the glint of a burning red herb growing amidst the cracked rocks. "Senior Brother, I found a Crimson Fire Lily," she called out, carefully harvesting the herb with her dainty hands. Shen Yuan nced back with a nod. "Good find. Those are quite precious for fire-elemental pills. Keep looking; this region should have more hidden treasures like that."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Han Qingyu, meanwhile, spotted a vein of Molten Obsidian embedded in a nearby rock wall. With a swift swing of her spear, she broke off the surrounding wall of the hill to take out the glimmering ck mineral. "This is decent material for forging weapons," she said, examining the obsidian. "It should fetch a good price ore in handy for crafting." Shen Yuan smiled as he looked around for treasures as well. "Collect it all, in a ce like this, you might even find a higher tier treasure than Extreme Origin Core Realm." As they continued deeper, they began sensing more powerful beasts in the surroundings. The ground trembled as a Lava Beast, in the shape of a bull with a body glowing with molten veins, emerged from the nearbyva river. The beast''s horns radiated intense heat, and its molten hide seemed impervious to ordinary attacks. "Peak Origin Core Creation Realm beast," Wan Ling said, her grip tightening on her sword. Shen Yuan raised his spear and said with azy expression. "Let me handle this. You two focus on the smaller beasts nearby." The Lava Bull charged with a thunderous roar, its molten hooves leaving trails of fire in its wake. Experience tales at empire Shen Yuan met its charge head-on, his Thunder Intent surging as Tyrant''s Wrath sparked to life. "Thunder Strike!" he shouted, thrusting his spear forward. The bolt of lightning collided with the Lava Bull''s horns, sending sparks flying. The beast staggered but quickly regained its bnce, its molten eyes burning with rage. "Quite the sturdy one, aren''t you?" Shen Yuan muttered with a smirk. He spun Tyrant''s Wrath, channeling raw thunder Qi into the spear. "Heaven''s Wrath Spear Art: First Form!" Electricity spiraled around the spear as he lunged forward, piercing the beast''s thick hide. The Lava Bull let out a deafening roar as the lightning coursed through its body, overwhelming its molten core. With a final bellow, the beast copsed, its massive form dissolving into embers and leaving behind a glowing core of molten energy. "Another Mutated Beast Core," Shen Yuan remarked, picking up the core. He tossed it to Han Qingyu, who caught it with ease. "Keep this one too." The group pressed onward, collecting herbs, minerals, and monster cores as they fought their way through packs of me hounds,va bulls, molten serpents, and many other beasts. Each encounter pushed Han Qingyu and Wan Ling to their limits, tempering not only their bodies but their minds as well. Shen Yuan continued guarding them with his overwhelming strength. Eventually, they stumbled upon a glowing cavern nestled within a jagged ridge. The cavern entrance radiated intense heat, and faint flickers of me could be seen dancing in the air. "This ce feels different," Wan Ling said, her Radiant Qi shielding her body from the intense heat. "The energy here is¡­ oppressive." Shen Yuan''s eyes narrowed as he scanned the cavern. "There''s something strong in there. Be ready." As they slowly ventured inside, the heat and light intensified, and the ground became uneven, with cracks revealing moltenva bubbling below. Suddenly, a low growl echoed through the cavern, and a massive figure emerged from the shadows. It was an Infernal me beast, its sleek, obsidian-like body wreathed in mes. Its eyes burned like twin suns, and the pressure it emitted was far greater than anything they''d faced so far. "Early stages of the Extreme Origin Core Realm, this one''s mine," Shen Yuan said, stepping forward. "You two stay back and cover me if anything else shows up." The Infernal me Beast snarled, its ws igniting as it pounced toward Shen Yuan with blinding speed. But Shen Yuan moved even faster. With a single step, he vanished from its path, reappearing behind it with Void Steps. "Too slow," he said, taking out his spear and thrusting it towards the beast''s back. The spear struck directly, sending a burst of lightning through the beast''s fiery form. The beast roared in pain but retaliated with a swipe of its ming w, forcing Shen Yuan to leap back. The battle raged on, Shen Yuan''s movements a blur as he unleashed a series of powerful spear techniques that he had created on the spot to counter the Infernal Beast. But the Infernal Beast increased the intensity of its me as a faint hum sounded in the surroundings, the beast used First level of Fire Intent to fight against Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow in surprise as this was the first time he had seen someone using Fire Intent in a fight. Chapter 273 Treasures His lips curled up into an excited smile as he felt his blood pumping faster, he decided to test his own Thunder Intent against the beast. "Heavenly Thunder Spear Art: Tyrant''s Judgment!" He raised his Tyrant''s Wrath high above his head, the spear glowing with blinding lightning as the air crackled with energy. With a thunderous roar, he brought the spear down, releasing a massive bolt of lightning that struck the Beast directly. The Infernal me Beast let out one final roar before its form disintegrated, leaving behind a shimmering, ruby-like core surrounded by flickering mes. Shen Yuan picked up the core, its heat radiating through his hand. "An Extreme Origin Core Realm Beast Core. This will be useful." Wan Ling and Han Qingyu approached, their expressions a mix of awe and relief. "Senior Brother, your strength is really incredible," Wan Ling said, her admiration evident on her face. Han Qingyu nodded, though her tone was more reserved. "Even Extreme Origin Core Realm beasts are nothing in front of you." Shen Yuan chuckled while cing the core in his storage ring. "Let''s keep moving. This cavern might have more treasures deeper inside." Han Qingyu and Wan Ling nodded their heads before following him deeper inside. Shen Yuan continued observing the surroundings, his sharp gaze catching faint glimmers in the scorched rocks. The air around them grew increasingly oppressive as they ventured deeper inside the cavern, the heat and Fire Qi intensifying with each step. "Over here," Han Qingyu''s voice echoed in the cavern as she crouched down, her spear gently tapping against a jagged section of rock. Embedded within it was a cluster of Molten Volcano Crystals, their ruby-red glow pulsing with immense heat. "These crystals are precious," Han Qingyu said, her silver eyes shining as she examined them. "They''re excellent for forging weapons or even direct absorption for increasing the cultivation base of fire-attributed cultivators." Shen Yuan nodded with a smile. "That''s a good find. Collect them carefully; too much force might destabilize their Fire Qi and ruin them." Han Qingyu precisely channeled her Wind Qi through her spear, slicing the rock away without disturbing the crystals. She stored them in her ring after extracting them, a satisfied smile formed on her face. Not far ahead of the two of them, Wan Ling knelt by a glowing pool ofva, her Radiant Qi protecting her from the searing heat of the cavern. In the center of the pool, a lotus with fiery red petals floated serenely, its stem glowing like molten gold. "Senior Brother, is this¡­ a zing Fire Lotus?" Wan Ling asked excitedly, her eyes sparkling. Shen Yuan''s gaze sharpened as he approached the pool. "Indeed. This is a rare lotus that grows only in extreme environments like this. It can even refine Extreme Origin Core Realm fire-element cultivators'' meridians or be used as a main ingredient in high-tier pills." Wan Ling carefully extended her sword, using her Radiant Qi to delicately sever the lotus from its stem without disturbing the surroundingva. "Let me take a look," Shen Yuan said while looking at the stem and lotus. Wan Ling tilted her head in confusion before giving him the lotus, "Here, Senior Brother." Shen Yuan smiled and plucked out a few lotus seeds before throwing them around the area where the lotus was growing. "We should leave seeds for such a natural treasure of heaven and earth to grow back again. You need to look out for the next generation of disciples as well." He patiently exined to her. She repeatedly nodded her head in agreement while storing the lotus in a jade box that Shen Yuan had provided. Experience tales with empire "And you''re doing well, Ling''er," Shen Yuan then praised her, his calm tone bringing a bright smile to Wan Ling''s face. As they moved deeper into the cavern while collecting various treasures, Shen Yuan''s senses tingled, and he raised his hand for the group to halt. "Be careful. There''s something unusual up ahead." The group stepped into a wider chamber, where the ground glowed faintly with veins of magma and intense Fire Qi filled the air. At the center of the chamber sat a small altar, atop which rested a radiant, fist-sized Fire Essence Orb. The orb pulsated with golden mes, exuding a domineering pressure. "A Fire Essence Orb!" Han Qingyu eximed, her eyes widening. "This is far more valuable than I expected." Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up as this was the very thing he hade looking for, but he paused as he sensed some movements ahead, "Stay sharp, it''s not unguarded." As if waiting for him, the surrounding walls trembled, and molten rocks fell away to reveal me Golems¡ªmassive constructs of molten stone and fire. Their fiery cores pulsed in their chest as they turned their glowing eyes toward the group. "Five me Golems, two at the Extreme Origin Core Realm and three at the Peak Origin Core Creation Realm," Shen Yuan observed calmly, his grip tightening on Tyrant''s Wrath. "I''ll handle the three on the right. Qingyu, Ling''er¡ªtake the others and aim for their cores." "Understood!" Han Qingyu replied with confidence, yet Wan Ling seemed to hesitate as the Golems were well outside of her realm. Shen Yuan turned around and saw her hesitation, he smiled gently, "I know it''s hard for you, but just trust me and go ahead and fight them." Wan Ling nodded her head heavily, fully trusting Shen Yuan''s words. Han Qingyu looked at Wan Ling worriedly, despite not liking her, she didn''t want something unfortunate to happen to her. Shen Yuan''s calm gaze swept over the three me Golems approaching him, their molten forms radiating a suffocating heat. Sparks of thunder crackled around Tyrant''s Wrath as he strode towards them with confidence. The first me Golem let out a low rumble, molten rocks falling from its body as it charged toward him. Shen Yuan sidestepped effortlessly, using his Void Steps he appeared instantly behind the beast. With a flick of his wrist, Tyrant''s Wrath hummed as it released deathly thunder.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Heavenly Thunder Spear Art: Thunderpierce!" A blinding streak of lightning erupted from the spear as Shen Yuan thrust it into the golem''s back. The molten creature howled in agony as the concentrated Thunder Qi shattered its fiery core, reducing it to crumbling rubble. "Now only the big ones remain," He said looking at the dark golems menacingly staring at him. His grip tightened on his spear, taking a step towards the beasts. Meanwhile, Wan Ling struggled against her opponent. The me Golem loomed over her like a towering giant. Each of its heavy steps caused the ground to tremble, and the fiery heat from its core threatened to overwhelm her. Sweat dripped down her brow as she gripped her sword tightly, her Radiant Qi ring as much as her current cultivation allowed. "Radiant Lotus sh!" Wan Ling cried, shing her glowing sword across the creature''s leg. The energy seared the molten rock, leaving a faint mark, but it wasn''t nearly enough. The golem swung its massive arm, mes erupting in its wake. Wan Ling leaped back just in time, but the heat singed the hem of her robe. Her breathing wasbored, her Qi reserves starting to deplete. "So¡­hot¡­is it¡­the fire¡­intent?" She said aloud with rough breaths. Chapter 274 Radiant Flame Bloodline The golem pressed its attack, forcing her onto the defensive. Each strike grew heavier, the heat intensifying with every swing. A flicker of doubt crossed her eyes as her knees weakened. ''Will I really lose?'' she thought softly, her confidence wavering. Shen Yuan, who had already destroyed his second me Golem with a series of precise, thunderous strikes, nced over at Wan Ling. His sharp eyes noticed the cracks in her protective Qi and the exhaustion in her movements. ''She''s at her limit,'' Shen Yuan thought, his expression turning hard. ''Just a bit more.'' He thought and went to make quick work of his third me Golem with a final thrust of Tyrant''s Wrath, lightning bursting from its core like a storm. With the three down, he turned fully toward Wan Ling''s fight. Her opponent roared, raising both arms to smash her into the ground. "Ling''er!" Shen Yuan''s voice echoed. Wan Ling gritted her teeth and summoned all her remaining Radiant Qi into her de. "Radiant Lotus Shield!" The golden lotus bloomed around her, intercepting the golem''s attack, but the shield cracked and shattered under the force. Wan Ling was flung backward, crashing against a jagged wall as all the Fiery Qi entered her meridians. "Damn it!" Shen Yuan cursed under his breath. Find more chapters on empire ''Yue Lan, I swear if you didn''t have a good reason for me to make her do this I won''t forgive you.'' [Calm down, it was necessary to give her a blessing.] Yue Lan''s calm voice echoed in his head, which seemed to calm him down as well as he hurriedly went towards her. All of a sudden, the system interface appeared in his mind. [System Shop Opened] [Searching for Item¡­] He looked at the screen, which seemed to be searching for something, and just as he was about to reach there, the screen paused and an item appeared on it. [Supreme Tier Radiant me Bloodline Vial ¨C 500,000 Chaos Coins] Description: A bloodline infused with Radiant and Fire essences. Allows the cultivator to awaken a rare Supreme Tier bloodline, greatly enhancing theirbat abilities. "500,000 Chaos Coins, huh?" Shen Yuan muttered to himself. Without a second thought, he confirmed the purchase. [Purchase Sessful. Item added to Inventory.] A crystal vial appeared in his hand, filled with a glowing golden liquid that pulsed faintly with fiery energy. Wan Ling struggled to stand, her sword trembling in her hand. The me Golem advanced once more, molten energy spiraling around its core, preparing a devastating strike. Just as its arm descended, Shen Yuan appeared beside her, his Void Steps bringing him there in an instant. With a single strike of his spear, he forced the golem back, holding it off temporarily. "Senior Brother¡­" Wan Ling whispered weakly, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "I¡­ I failed you¡­" "Don''t say that," Shen Yuan said gently, crouching in front of her. He held out the glowing vial. "Sorry, I made you go through this, here, take this." Wan Ling blinked in confusion, her eyes drawn to the vial. "What¡­ what is this?" "Something quite good," Shen Yuan said with a calm smile. "Trust me, Ling''er. This will only benefit you." Wan Ling nodded her head without a moment of hesitation. "I trust you, Senior Brother." She took the vial, uncorked it, and drank the golden liquid in one swift motion. The moment the bloodline entered her body, her eyes widened, and her entire body lit up with radiant and fiery energy. "Ahh¡ª!" Wan Ling gasped as she copsed to her knees, the energy surging violently inside her meridians mixing with this new energy. Her Radiant Qibined with the newfound Fire essence, forming a new, burning core within her dantian. Brilliant mes erupted around her, infused with radiant light as if a sun had ignited inside her. "Radiant Fire Core¡­" Shen Yuan muttered, watching the transformation with satisfaction. "You''re doing it, Ling''er." Han Qingyu looked towards Wan Ling in shock, despite overpowering the golem, she couldn''t finish it off quickly toe and help Wan Ling, but this energy that Wan Ling was radiating made even her have second looks.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The me Golem, sensing the surge of power, roared and moved to attack again. But before it could reach her, Wan Ling''s eyes snapped open, glowing with radiant mes. Her body was wreathed in golden fire, her sword now surrounded by zing lotus petals. "Radiant me Lotus sh!" Wan Ling shouted, her voice filled with newfound confidence. She dashed forward in a blur, her de slicing through the air. The golden mes surged around the me Golem''s core, burning through its molten body. BOOM! The golem let out onest groan before its fiery core shattered, and its form crumbled into ashes. ¡­ [See? I told you to trust me.] Yue Lan''szy voice echoed in his head. Shen Yuan exhaled a sigh, ''But you still scammed me huh, why was the bloodline so expensive?'' [What do you mean it was expensive? Supreme tier items are in that range, you forgot your bloodline?] ''Yes, but I thought it was in the Upper Levels of Supreme Tier items that''s why it was so expensive.'' He asked in confusion. [Yes, and her new Bloodline is also at that level. She can be the Holy Saintess of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect with this bloodline now. The old farts in the sect will surely notice the presence of that bloodline in her when she returns.] Shen Yuan got silent as he contemted her words for a second, ''Is there any way to mask her bloodline?'' [Don''t bother, it will be better for her to be the Saintess, it will also be better for you. And the sect won''t mistreat her, neither do you need to worry about anything with your Mother being present there.] Yue Lan slowly exined. ''Well¡­I guess that''s true as well.'' Shen Yuan nodded and looked at where Wan Ling was standing. She stood amidst the dissipating mes, her chest rising and falling as she felt her new cultivation base. Her aura had grown far stronger, her cultivation having broken through to the Origin Core Creation Realm. Shen Yuan approached her with a proud smile. "Well done, Ling''er. You''ve sessfully surpassed the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect techniques and took your first step on a superior path." Wan Ling turned to him, her face glowing with joy and gratitude and a hint of something that she had long hidden. She slowly came towards him, putting her sword back in her storage ring. Shen Yuan gently smiled seeing her like this, he waited for her to say something first. Han Qingyu put away her spear and looked at Wan Ling suspiciously, ''What is she trying to do here?'' Wan Ling came and stood in front of Shen Yuan, her head lowered as she softly said, "I wouldn''t have been able to do this without you¡­" She said it in such a small voice that even Shen Yuan looked at her as if wondering whether she wanted to say it or not. She slowly raised her head, her eyes shing with small tears as she looked straight into Shen Yuan''s eyes, "I don''t know how to thank you enough¡­ I just wan-want to say¡ª" Chapter 275 Wan Ling Her breath hitched as she looked at Shen Yuan''s calm eyes, she took a deep breath, "I LOVE YOU!!" She lunged towards him, giving him a deep hug while holding her breath, waiting for his response. Han Qingyu''s eyes widened in shock as her mouth fell open, she stared at Wan Ling''s bold action. They both knew they were after Shen Yuan, but there was a tactical understanding between them forpetition. But now she went ahead and confessed to Shen Yuan. Han Qingyu clenched her fists silently, a flicker of irritation and admiration shing through her silver eyes. Wan Ling had taken the first step forward, but she wouldn''t be left far behind. Shen Yuan looked slightly below, feeling her shivering slightly due to nervousness. He slowly raised his hand and patted her head, slowly calming her down. "Are you sure about what you said?" He softly asked, without epting or rejecting her. Wan Ling raised her head from his chest and nodded her head with resolve. Shen Yuan exhaled a small sigh before looking at her seriously and saying, "Then there are a few things you should be aware of." Wan Ling became slightly nervous again, listening intently to what he had to say. Han Qingyu''s eyes also perked up as she wondered what he had to say. Shen Yuan took a deep breath before beginning to say, "You know, I already have women whom I love¡ª" "I don''t mind if you have a harem, as long as I have a small ce in your heart." Wan Ling quickly said, not wanting to wait a single second longer. Han Qingyu nodded her head, as she already knew about his rtionship with Huo Rong, so she couldn''t care less about that at this point. Shen Yuan shook his head, "Let me finish first, it''s about my harem members, do you know who they are?" Wan Ling softly shook her head as she had no idea about his harem members until now. On the other hand, Han Qingyu thought for a second before speaking, "Are you talking about Sister Huo Rong and Sister Bing Rong?" Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, he clearly remembered that he only told her about Huo Rong and not Bing Rong, but nheless he nodded his head, "Yes, but not only them." This time even Han Qingyu became confused as she had no idea about who else he was talking about. Shen Yuan took a deep breath and said, "My first Dao Companion is¡ªmy Mom, Shen Yuxin." Han Qingyu and Wan Ling''s eyes widened as they couldn''t believe what they were hearing. Sure, it was not that rare for that to happen in the world of cultivation as it was quitemon to keep the bloodline pure, but to see it happening with someone so dear to them¡ªthey were not prepared for that. "Of course, she is not my blood mother, I have no idea who my blood parents are, she adopted me ever since I was young and has raised me together with Sister Bing Rong and Sister Huo Rong." Shen Yuan added with a fond smile as he remembered the memories of the old times. Wan Ling and Han Qingyu calmed down somewhat as they heard his following words. Shen Yuan slowly lowered his head to look at Wan Ling¡ªstill hugging him, "Now, do you still want to be a part of my harem? I can''t make a promise that I will treat you better than the rest or anything like that-" Wan Ling''s eyes showed her hesitation, her internal struggle as she contemted what she had just heard. But it onlysted a moment longer. She slowly raised her head, staring directly into Shen Yuan''s calm eyes, and her resolve gradually strengthened. "I don''t care about any of that, Senior Brother," Wan Ling said, her voice trembling slightly at first but gradually grew firm with each word. "You''ve always been someone I admire, someone I want to stand beside. It doesn''t matter to me who else is in your life or how unconventional it might seem. I just want to be a part of your world." Her arms tightened around him as if she feared he might slip away. "If you''re willing to ept me, I''ll dly follow you, no matter what." Shen Yuan''s expression softened. He gently cupped her chin, tilting her head so their eyes met. "Ling''er, I appreciate your sincerity. If this is truly your choice, then I''ll treasure it. But remember, this path isn''t easy. I won''t be restricted by this mere world."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Wan Ling nodded her head resolutely. "I understand, Senior Brother. I''ll work hard to be someone worthy of standing by your side." Shen Yuan smiled, the kind that carried both warmth and reassurance. "Very well. From this moment on, you are officially a part of my life." [Ding!] [Congrattions Host for adding Wan Ling as your Harem Member. You have acquired Eternal Radiant me Sutra.] Shen Yuan ignored the system message and looked at Wan Ling. Her face lit up with a radiant smile, her earlier nervousness reced by pure joy. "Thank you, Senior Brother! I won''t let you down." Han Qingyu, who had been watching silently, finally let out a soft sigh. Her silver eyes narrowed slightly as she stepped closer, her spear resting lightly against her shoulder. "So, you''re just going to ept her, just like that?" she asked, though her tonecked its usual sharpness. Shen Yuan turned to her, his calm gaze meeting hers. "I didn''t see a reason to refuse her feelings. She understands what she''s stepping into and has made her choice." Han Qingyu''s lips pressed into a thin line. She crossed her arms, looking between Shen Yuan and Wan Ling as she silently thought to herself ''Well, I suppose I can''tin about them being together. But I won''t be giving up just because she confessed first.'' Wan Ling, emboldened by Shen Yuan''s eptance, turned to Han Qingyu with a confident smile. "Hehe, looks like I''m first." Han Qingyu raised an eyebrow, feeling irritated at Wan Ling''s smug smile. Shen Yuan chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You two can sort that outter. Right now, we still have treasures to find and an entire region to explore." The two women exchanged onest look, both silently acknowledging each other as a rival, before nodding in unison. "Understood, Senior Brother." Shen Yuan turned and began leading them deeper into the cavern. [So, now Wan Ling has the highest level of Bloodline in your harem huh.] ''Not for long, I felt Mom''s bloodline slowly rising towards Supreme Rank during ourst session, it won''t be long until she has a Supreme Tier Bloodline as well.'' Shen Yuan shook his head and said. [True, but Wan Ling still has the highest ranked bloodline among your harem members for now. Oh and I forgot to tell you, but once you have Nine techniques in your Chaotic Vessel Physique, its rank will be improved to Saint Rank.] Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow at her words, ''Really? That''s quite good, I should be able to do it by the time I reach Dao Core Forming Realm.'' ¡­ The cave was so deep that it seemed to be connecting with a Volcano. Chapter 276 Dao Core Forming Realm Beast The oppressive heat seemed to ease slightly as Wan Ling adjusted to her new Radiant me Bloodline. Her aura had now stabilized as she seemed to be stably at the First Level of Origin Core Creation Realm. Wan Ling felt her aura and looked at Shen Yuan, "Senior Broth-" "You can just call me Brother Yuan or Yuan''er, just as the rest of them call me." He softly said with a sweet smile on his face. Wan Ling''s face lit up as she happily nodded, "Ok Brother Yuan." Shen Yuan nodded his head, "Yes, so what were you asking?" "I wanted to ask about the Origin Core Creation Realm. How many times should I refine my core? Before this I thought even 5 refinements might be stretching my limit, but now¡­" She opened and closed her palm while looking at herself in wonder. Shen Yuan chuckled and nodded, "It''s good that you asked, you should always consult with me or Big Sis Bing Rong if you have any doubts about cultivation. You should go for 9 refinements during Origin Core Creation Realm." Han Qingyu and Wan Ling''s eyes widened in shock. "Ni-Nine refinements? Brother Yuan, I don''t think even the best disciples of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect can do that." Wan Ling softly said. Han Qingyu nodded her head, "Yes, even I thought it would be risky for me to get 6 refinements." "Don''tpare yourself with the mediocre geniuses of this backward ce. I will give you a different cultivation technique and pillter, Wan Ling, you should cultivate with them instead, doing Nine revolutions will almost be guaranteed with them." Wan Ling''s eyes lit up as she nodded her head repeatedly, "I will do that then, Brother Yuan." Han Qingyu seemed to want to say something but stayed silent in the end. Shen Yuan noticed this but didn''t say anything as it was not yet time for him to make a move on her. [Why don''t you just confess at this point? We all can see she desperately wants to be with you.] ''What''s the fun in that? Not like I''m letting her go from me. Rushed love will wither sooner rather thanter. Let her ept her feelings herself first, it won''t be toote for this after all.'' Shen Yuan softly answered Yue Lan. [...You are just ying hard to get.] ''...'' Shen Yuan ignored her words and continued leading the way deeper. ¡­ As they ventured further, the group discovered more valuable resources: rare fire-attributed herbs, glowing minerals embedded in the walls, and even a small vein of Fire Spirit Crystals. Each treasure was carefully stored away by the group in either a special container or directly in their storage rings. Eventually, the cavern''s path opened into a vast chamber filled with flowing rivers of moltenva. At the center of the chamber stood a massive crystalline formation, glowing with intense golden-red light. Its presence radiated an overwhelming aura of Fire Qi. Shen Yuan''s eyes narrowed. "A Pure me Heart Crystal. Now this is what we call a treasure." Han Qingyu looked at the crystal intently. "This could enhance any fire cultivation technique or even forge a weapon strong enough to rival heaven-grade artifacts." Wan Ling nodded, her excitement barely contained. "Senior Brother, we must take this with us!" Shen Yuan held up a hand, silencing them. His calm gaze scanned the entire chamber, sensing the dense, vtile energy surrounding the crystal. "Someone is guarding it." The oppressive heat of the chamber surged as the moltenva churned violently, spewing bursts of fire and ash into the air. The calmness around the Pure me Heart Crystal shattered as a monstrous roar thundered through the cavern. A massive shadow rose from beneath theva, its form towering and serpentine, radiating an aura of destruction. It was a Lava Wyrm, its molten scales glowing like smoldering embers, veins of liquid fire coursing through its massive body. Its glowing eyes burned with intelligence and rage, staring intently at the intruders with predatory intent. Shen Yuan''s eyes narrowed. "Dao Core Forming Realm," he muttered, his tone slightly excited. "A Beast Lord. This won''t be simple." Wan Ling and Han Qingyu instinctively took a step back, their auras rising defensively due to the intense heat. Wan Ling gripped her sword tighter, while Han Qingyu''s spear gleamed with her dual-element Qi. "Go back to the entrance," Shen Yuanmanded steadily. "This is beyond either of you." Wan Ling hesitated, her voice trembling. "But Brother Yuan¡ª" "No," he said firmly, his gaze softening only slightly. "Trust me. I''ll handle this. Just stay safe." Han Qingyu''s jaw tightened, but she nodded. "Understood, Brother Yuan. Don''t overextend yourself." The two quickly retreated, casting anxious nces back as Shen Yuan, who was stepping calmly toward the giant beast. The Lava Wyrm let out another earth-shaking roar, its molten body coiling as it prepared to strike. Shen Yuan exhaled, steadying himself as he reached out to summon Crimson Devourer, the blood-red de appearing in his hand with a rumble of energy. Sparks of thunder and radiant light intertwined around him as his Qi surged, each element resonating with unrelenting power. The Lava Wyrm lunged, its colossal jaws snapping toward him, molten fire dripping from its fangs. Shen Yuan vanished in a blur, Void Step Technique teleporting him effortlessly out of the beast''s attack range. He reappeared a dozen meters away, the ground beneath him scorched from the beast''s attack. "Radiant Lotus sh!" Shen Yuan roared, swinging Crimson Devourer in an arc. A brilliant crescent of radiant energy exploded from the de, tearing into the beast''s molten scales. The attack left a deep gash, molten rock and mes spilling from the wound as the wyrm roared in fury. The Lava Wyrm retaliated instantly, its massive tail whipping through the air like a fiery battering ram.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Shen Yuan activated Luminous Shadow Step, his form flickering like a mirage as he weaved through the deadly onught. The ground where he once stood exploded, sending shards of molten rock flying. "Do better than that," Shen Yuan muttered, his voice low but charged with adrenaline. His form flickered again, and he closed the distance in an instant using Thunderbolt sh Step. "Thunderbolt Palm!" Shen Yuan''s hand crackled with destructive energy as he mmed it against the wyrm''s side. A deafening explosion of lightning rippled through the beast, forcing it to skid back, its massive body carving a trench into theva-coated ground. The Lava Wyrm let out a guttural roar, its molten scales glowing brighter as it unleashed a torrent of fire infused with second level Fire Intent. The mes surged forward like a tidal wave, the heat so intense that the air itself seemed to ripple. Shen Yuan raised his hand. "Lightning Barrier!" An electric dome materialized around him, the cascading fire sshing harmlessly against the crackling shield. Sparks flew in every direction as the shield absorbed the impact, leaving Shen Yuan unharmed. The wyrm''s rage only grew. Itshed out with its ws, its molten talons cutting through the air with terrifying speed. Shen Yuan''s Void Steps activated in an instant, his body flickering out of existence and reappearing above the beast. Chapter 277 Injuries Shen Yuan reappeared high above the Lava Wyrm, his crimson de gleaming with radiant light and crackling thunder. He prepared to strike down when a sudden change in the beast''s movement caught his eye. The Lava Wyrm''s massive tail whipped upward with blinding speed, a molten blur that closed the distance in an instant. Shen Yuan''s eyes shed as his Void Steps activated reflexively, his figure flickering just as the tail approached. He reappeared several meters away, but the Lava Wyrm twisted its massive body mid-air, its tail changing trajectory with uncanny precision. BOOM! The tail mmed into the ground where Shen Yuan had just materialized, the resulting shockwave and debris engulfing him. The force sent him flying through the air like a meteor, his body colliding with the cavern wall. The impact shattered the wall, creating a deep crater as the ground beneath them trembled. "Brother Yuan!" Wan Ling screamed, her voice filled with panic as she watched him disappear into the debris cloud. Han Qingyu''s knuckles whitened as she gripped her spear tightly. Her silver eyes filled with worry, but she masked her worry behind a calm fa?ade. "He''ll be fine," she muttered, though her own voice wavered slightly. From the debris, a faint glow emerged. Shen Yuan stepped out of the crater, dusting himself off with a calm face. His robe was torn in several ces, revealing faint burn marks and scratches, but his posture remained straight as a spear. He rolled his shoulder, cracking his neck as if testing his body. "So, it''s like that, huh?" he murmured, his eyes gleaming with understanding. Wan Ling exhaled in relief, her hands clutching her chest. "He''s okay¡­" Han Qingyu crossed her arms, hiding her own relief. "What''s he muttering about now?" Shen Yuan''s gaze locked onto the Lava Wyrm, which was coiled tightly, its glowing eyes watching him with eerie intelligence. "It''s not just a brute," he muttered to himself. "It has spatial awareness¡­ it can sense where I''ll appear." The beast let out another ear-shattering roar, its molten scales shimmering with heat as theva around it churned violently. Shen Yuan''s lips curled into a slight smirk. "Good, finally a worthy opponent, our bat¡ª" [Just fight, why are you using your past life''s lines here.] ''Fuck you, let me act cool for a second.'' Shen Yuan shook his head with a slight chuckle as his Qi surged, the air around him distorting as four elements¡ªfire, thunder, light, and space¡ªintertwined chaotically. Sparks crackled and mes roared as his de glowed ominously. "You have yed enough," Shen Yuan said, raising Crimson Devourer high above his head. "Now, it''s my turn." The Lava Wyrm lunged forward, its molten jaws opening wide to engulf him in a sea of mes. Shen Yuan activated Void Steps, his figure flickering like a mirage. He appeared to the left of the beast, then above it, then directly in front¡ªeach movement faster than thest, leaving afterimages in his wake. The Lava Wyrm snapped its jaws, its tailshing out with devastating speed, but Shen Yuan was already gone, his movements a blur of chaotic precision. He darted closer to the wyrm''s massive body, his sharp eyes zeroing in on a particr scale near the creature''s chest. Unlike the others, this one pulsed faintly, its glow slightly dimmer¡ªthe reverse scale. "Found it," Shen Yuan muttered, his grip tightening on Crimson Devourer. Find adventures at empire The Lava Wyrm roared, sensing his impending doom. Itshed out with everything it had, ws raking the air, molten fire spewing like a tidal wave, and its massive tail sweeping toward him in a deadly arc. Shen Yuan''s form flickered onest time as he vanishedpletely. He reappeared directly in front of the wyrm''s chest, his de raised high and crackling with unrestrained energy. His voice rang out, calm yet thunderous. "Heaven and Earth Severance¡ªSecond Form: Ocean Splitting!" Crimson Devourer descended with a cataclysmic force, the de''s radiant energy erupting into a colossal arc that seemed to tear through space itself. The strike hit the targeted scale, the wyrm''s molten armor shattering as the energy surged into its core. BOOOOOM! The chamber shook violently as the Lava Wyrm let out a final, deafening roar of agony. Its massive body convulsed, the light in its molten veins dimming rapidly as the force of the attack overwhelmed it. The wyrm copsed, its molten form falling and cracking as the life drained from its massive body. The once-overbearing heat in the chamber subsided, reced by an eerie stillness. Shen Yuannded like an Immortal descending on the mortal world, his de still glowing faintly as he sheathed it. He exhaled, his breath steady despite the intensity of the battle. [You really had to scream that name? I really cringed hard hearing that.] ''You don''t know, I finally understand why all those characters used to scream the attack names, the fight would be boring without all this, there is a different kind of excitement by doing this.'' Shen Yuan replied with an excited smile. [Yeah yeah, I can see how excited you are from your recent battle.] Wan Ling and Han Qingyu rushed toward him, their expressions a mix of awe and concern. "Brother Yuan, are you okay?" Wan Ling asked, her eyes scanning him for injuries. Shen Yuan smiled faintly, patting her head reassuringly. "Just a few scratches. Nothing worth worrying about." Han Qingyu looked at him worriedly, but couldn''t bring herself to interrupt Wan Ling and Shen Yuan''s romantic moment. Shen Yuan looked at Han Qingyu fidgeting alone at the back. He smiled slightly and walked towards her. Han Qingyu looked at him approaching her as she finally exhaled a sigh and said, "You call that ''nothing''? You were mmed into a wall by a Beast Lord." Shen Yuan patted her head softly while chuckling. "And yet, here I stand." He turned back to the corpse of the Lava Wyrm floating on top of theva. ''Hmm, can it be used for something?'' [Yes, there are quite a lot of ways since it also has the core of someone at the Beast Lord realm, but I would suggest you feed this beast to Xueyan, her cultivation will soar with the help of it.]n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ''Hmm¡­that''s also good, I don''t have any need for the core or other body part of it now anyways.'' Shen Yuan nodded his head and walked towards the beast. Wan Ling and Han Qingyu looked at him in confusion, wondering what he wanted to do. He reached in front of the face of the beast before slowly cing his palm on top of its head, ''Send it in my beastpanion space with Xueyan, let her have this feast.'' [Gotcha.] The massive body of the beast vanished in front of the group''s eyes as they stared in silence. "Br-brother Yuan, did you store that beast in your storage ring? How high is the grade of your storage ring anyways? It seemed never-ending," Han Qingyu said in astonishment. Wan Ling nodded along with Han Qingyu''s words as she was wondering the same. Shen Yuan smiled and turned back to the group, "Haha, I have a special storage artifact, it has quite therge space for storing stuff, you guys don''t need to worry about it." Chapter 278 Loot The two of them nodded their heads before turning back towards the center of the chamber. The Pure me Heart Crystal, now unguarded, pulsed brightly in the center of the chamber. "Let''s check out what we have gotten this time," Shen Yuan said, ncing at the crystal. The group began walking towards the crystal as he popped up a few Qi replenishing pills in his mouth. ''I exhausted more of my Qi than I had anticipated, looks like my current limit is somewhere in the Dao Core Forming Realm,'' he said to Yue Lan while walking. [Yes, remember that the Lava Wyrm didn''t have a higher tier bloodline, otherwise it would have been much harder for you to win. At that level he might have already learned Fire Intent to the fourth level if its bloodline was higher.] Shen Yuan nodded his head in agreement, ''I need to reach the battle strength equal to the peak of Dao Core Forming Realm before breaking through to the Extreme Origin Core Realm.''n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Shen Yuan, Wan Ling, and Han Qingyu approached the Pure me Heart Crystal cautiously. The chamber''s oppressive heat had lessened with the Lava Wyrm''s death, but the crystal still radiated immense Fire Qi, its golden-red glow casting flickering reflections on the molten rivers around it. "This crystal is even more magnificent up close," Wan Ling said, her eyes sparkling with awe. "It''s practically pulsating with enough Qi to make someone reach the Extreme Origin Core Realm in one go." Han Qingyu nodded, her silver eyes scanning the area for any other traps or dangers. "Be careful. Treasures of this grade often have hidden dangers, even after their guardian has been defeated." Shen Yuan smiled faintly, sensing the tense atmosphere Han Qingyu''s words had created. "Don''t worry. I''ve got this." He extended his hand, his Qi flowing steadily as he enveloped the Pure me Heart Crystal with his energy. A subtle hum resonated through the chamber, but nothing unexpected happened. Carefully, Shen Yuan lifted the crystal, its weight surprisingly light in his hands despite the overwhelming energy it contained. "It''s stable," Shen Yuan softly said, cing the crystal into a specially prepared storage artifact. "This wille in handyter." Wan Ling pped her hands together excitedly. "Brother Yuan, this treasure is incredible! The Sect would surely reward you greatly for bringing it back." Han Qingyu, though more reserved, couldn''t hide the faint smile tugging at her lips. "Indeed. But knowing you, Senior Brother, I doubt you will hand it over to the sect." Shen Yuan chuckled, nodding slightly. "You''re not wrong. I''ve already thought of a few uses for this crystal, but let''s move on. There''s more to explore in this region." The trio exited the chamber, they could still feel the oppressive heat of the volcano stinging their backs, but it had lessened after the demise of the Lava Wyrm. As they reached the ground above, they began venturing deeper into the volcanic region, thendscape shifted into a maze of jagged obsidian rocks, molten rivers, and glowing vents. Over the next few days, the group went through multiple caverns and hidden chambers, they found most of them empty but also had quite some gains in a few of them. They found a lot of Fire Spirit Herbs and fire-attributed cksmithing material ranging from Mortal tier to Heaven Tier. They also found rare treasures of heaven and earth such as Crimson Lotus Seeds, zing Essence Dew, and many more. Wan Ling''s radiant aura grew brighter as her bloodline passively absorbed the fiery Qi around her. "Brother Yuan, this ce is incredible! The treasures here could elevate even ordinary disciples to great heights." Han Qingyu nodded, her spear faintly glowing with Fire Qi from the enriched environment. "The sheer density of Fire Qi in this region is as high as the top cultivation chambers back in the sect. It''s no wonder the sect sends disciples here sparingly." Shen Yuan''s expression remained calm as he replied with a smile. "This region is rich with opportunity, but it''s also filled with lurking dangers. There is a reason the sect has imed this area, no other Sect in the surrounding region is as rich as our sect after all." "True, this is the perfect ce for tempering Inner Sect Disciples, since the disciples cultivate Radiant Qi this ce is quite suitable for us," Han Qingyu nodded her head while agreeing with Shen Yuan. As they ventured further, they reached a massive volcanic crater filled with bubblingva and surrounded by jagged spires of obsidian. At its center was a massive cluster of glowing stones suspended above the molten pool, radiating a blinding brilliance. "Those are... Fire Starstones," Han Qingyu breathed, her voice tinged with excitement. "They''re used in forging Earth tier fire-attributed artifacts." Shen Yuan nodded, his gaze focused. "Let''s collect them, we can give it back to the sect to show our appreciation. But be careful, there''s bound to be more guardians or natural traps in a ce like this." [Aren''t you the sole cksmith of the sect? All this will end up back in your pocket anyways.] ''Haha,'' Shen Yuan just smirked and didn''t reply back to Yue Lan as he looked towards the center of the volcano. The moment Shen Yuan moved toward the Fire Starstones, the ground trembled violently. From the molten pool emerged a swarm of fiery serpent-like creatures, their glowing scales flickering with destructive Fire Qi. Each one exuded the aura of the Origin Core Creation Realm/Beast General Realm. "They''re Lava Serpents!" Wan Ling eximed, drawing her sword. "There are so many!" Shen Yuan smirked, his crimson de shing with murderous intent. "Good. A bit of exercise before the next treasure." The three worked in perfect harmony, Shen Yuan leading the charge while Wan Ling and Han Qingyu supported him. Sparks and mes chaotically weaved through the air as the Lava Serpents lunged, their molten bodies coiling and aiming with deadly precision. "Radiant Lotus sh!" Wan Ling cried, her de emitting a golden arc that severed multiple serpents in one strike. "Tempest Spear!" Han Qingyu''s spear spun like a whirlwind, creating a vortex of Wind and Fire Qi that incinerated the serpents attempting to nk her. Continue your adventure at empire Shen Yuan, in the midst of the chaos, used Void Steps to weave between the serpents, his strikes precise and lethal. His de crackled with thunder as he unleashed Heavenly Thunder Sword, obliterating several serpents in a single, devastating st. Within moments, the battlefield was silent, the molten remains of the Lava Serpents sinking back into theva pool. Shen Yuan sheathed his de, calmly looking at the drowning corpses of the beasts before coolly saying, "They are not worthy enough to be collected." Wan Ling wiped sweat from her brow, her face glowing with pride. "Thank you, Brother Yuan." Han Qingyu gave a faint smile, though her eyes reflected admiration for Shen Yuan''s strength and consideration. [Hey hey, stop using your space intent to collect the bodies of those beasts, you just said they are worthless.] Yue Lan disdainfully said as she felt him using his space intent to collect the corpses of the beasts. ''They are worthless to me, not to Xueyan, give all these corpses to her and leave the cores alone, both mutated and normal, I can practice cksmithing and alchemy with them.'' Shen Yuan chuckled while saying. Chapter 279 Kiss [...] The group carefully retrieved the Fire Starstones, adding them to their growing collection of treasures. As they exited the volcanic crater, Wan Ling and Han Qingyu''s storage artifacts brimmed with treasures, each item enough to make an Inner Sect disciple wealthy. ¡­ After spending enough time, they made their way back while carefully looking for any remaining treasure that they might have missed. By the time they reached the edge of the volcanic region, the sky above had darkened, stars shimmering faintly overhead. The group paused on a high ridge overlooking the fieryndscape, their expressions a mix of exhaustion and triumph. "This trip was worth every second," Wan Ling said, her voice filled with gratitude and adoration. "Brother Yuan, thank you for leading us." Han Qingyu nodded in agreement. "You''ve shown us what true strength and leadership looks like. I learned a lot from this trip." Shen Yuan smiled faintly, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "This is just the beginning." He turned around and asked the two of them, "Now, what should we do? Return back to the sect?" Wan Ling tilted her head in thought while Han Qingyu nodded her head, "Yes Brother Yuan, the Aurora Zone Myriad Competition should be starting in a while, we can make it in time if we hurry back." Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, "Hmm? Why wasn''t I notified about this by my sisters or mother when they had the time?" "Maybe they had forgotten about it, or they might have wanted you to find out about it on your own?" Han Qingyu said in an unsure tone. Shen Yuan lowered his head in thought, ''I should head back as well, need to get that Core Disciple position as well, there shouldn''t be any issue with that from what happened during the match with the Ironwood Mountain Sect.'' He raised his head and looked towards Wan Ling, "Ling''er,e here." he gently said. Discover more content at empire Wan Ling shyly looked at him before moving forward. Han Qingyu looked annoyed as she saw Wan Ling''s shy expression. "Yes, Brother Yuan?" She asked in a low voice. Shen Yuan thought for a second, "Your current cultivation techniques will only limit your future achievements, do you want to change it?" Wan Ling looked towards Shen Yuan in confusion as it was nearly impossible to change the cultivation technique after cultivating with one. But nheless she trusted Shen Yuan enough that he won''t joke about such stuff, she slowly nodded her head and resolutely said, "Yes, I want to cultivate a better technique." "Are you sure? You will have to go through unimaginable pain while changing your cultivation technique." Shen Yuan looked at her and said in all seriousness. Wan Ling gulped as she felt scared for a bit but remembering about a future where she will be left behind by Shen Yuan while he soared high above the heavens, her will toughened as she nodded her head heavily, "Yes, I''m sure." "Good," Shen Yuan smiled and patted her head, "That''s good, I expected nothing more from my strong-willed little wife." Wan Ling went beet red as she heard him calling her his little wife. Han Qingyu''s fist clenched as she looked at the lovey-dovey atmosphere in front of her. Shen Yuan took out a bottle with a pure white crystalline pill inside and a glowing orb, he extended his hand towards her, "Here, take these, someone will inform you how to use them and what to do." She hesitated for a second looking at the new items in front of her, but took them in the end. Clutching the items tightly against her chest, she looked at Shen Yuan timidly, "Umm¡­ Brother Yuan¡­ are you sure I can change my cultivation technique with these items? And what is this crystalline white pill?" Shen Yuan looked at her meek face beforeughing lightly, "Haha, it''s the pill that will help you change your cultivation technique seamlessly, you don''t need to worry much about the other stuff." Wan Ling and Han Qingyu''s eyes lit up as they heard about the effects of the pill. But Wan Ling hesitated, her delicate fingers clutching the crystalline white pill and glowing orb as if they were priceless treasures. Her conflicted gaze met Shen Yuan''s calm and reassuring eyes. "Brother Yuan¡­ I can''t ept something so precious," she said softly, her voice trembling. "This pill¡ªit''s too valuable. It must have taken years of effort or unimaginable resources to refine." Shen Yuan smiled gently, stepping closer. His hand reached out to tilt her chin up, so her eyes were locked with his. "Ling''er, you''re part of my life now. What''s mine is yours. There''s no need to feel burdened by it." "But¡­" Wan Ling bit her lip, her hands trembling. "I haven''t done anything to deserve such a gift¡­" Shen Yuan chuckled softly, his voice warm and soothing. "You''ve given me your trust, your heart, and your unwavering resolve. That''s worth more than any treasure." He leaned in closer, his firm tone filled with affection. "Take it, Ling''er. This is the first step to ensuring you never fall behind, so you can always stand proudly by my side." Wan Ling''s eyes filled with tears as she slowly nodded, her grip on the items tightening. "Thank you, Brother Yuan¡­ I''ll treasure your kindness." "Good girl," Shen Yuan said, patting her head softly. His gaze shifted toward the glowing orb in her hands. "Now, I''ll send you to a secluded space where you can focus entirely on your cultivation. The chamber is specially designed for this process, and the time dtion will help you make the most of it." Wan Ling looked at him with wide eyes. "A secluded space? With time dtion? Is it¡­ your treasure?" Shen Yuan chuckled. "You could call it that. It''s a special ce I control, perfect for secluded cultivation like this." As he prepared to send her inside, Wan Ling hesitated again, fidgeting nervously. "Brother Yuan¡­ before I go, can I¡­ um¡­ can we¡­" Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at his lips as he saw her cheeks turn bright red. "You can ask anything, Ling''er." "I¡­" Her voice was barely a whisper as she struggled to form the words. Finally, she steeled her resolve and stepped closer. "Can we share¡­ a kiss before I go?" Shen Yuan''s smirk softened into a tender smile. Without a word, he closed the distance between them, his arms gently wrapping around her waist. Wan Ling''s heat seeped into his body as he breathed in his scent. Wan Ling''s breath hitched as he leaned in, his gaze locked onto hers. Han Qingyu turned around with a pink face as the intensity of the moment was far too much even for her. On the other hand, their lips met in a deep and intense kiss, a perfect blend of passion and tenderness. Wan Ling''s hands instinctively rested on his chest, her heart pounding wildly as she melted into his embrace. Time seemed to freeze as the warmth of their connection surged between them, her nervousness giving way to a sense of belonging and trust. Shen Yuan pulled back slightly, his forehead resting against hers as he whispered, "You''ll do great, Ling''er. I''ll be waiting for you."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Wan Ling''s face was flushed, her eyes glistening with emotion as she nodded. "I''ll make you proud, Brother Yuan." Chapter 280 Leaving With a wave of his hand, a shimmering portal appeared behind her, radiating an ethereal glow. Shen Yuan guided her gently toward it, his calm presence filling her with confidence. As Wan Ling stepped into the portal, Shen Yuan watched her figure disappear, his face held a gentle smile. Once she was gone, he exhaled deeply and turned to see Han Qingyu with her face turned in another direction, but feeling the absence of Wan Ling, she slowly turned her head back. Only to see Shen Yuan looking at her with a teasing smile. Her face began red again as the scene of Shen Yuan pulling Wan Ling into a hug shed in her mind. "Enjoyed what you saw?" He teasingly asked. Shen Yuan''s teasing smile deepened as he stepped closer to Han Qingyu, who was desperately trying to mask her embarrassment. Her silver eyes darted away, though the faint redness on her cheeks betrayed herposure. "So, Qingyu," Shen Yuan began, his voiceced with yful amusement. "How long were you nning to keep staring? Did you enjoy the scene that much?" Han Qingyu snapped her head toward him, her expression a mix of indignation and flustered embarrassment. "I wasn''t staring!" she retorted, though the crack in her voice undermined her words. "I just¡­ didn''t want to interrupt." "Interrupt?" Shen Yuan chuckled, his tone light. "I didn''t realize you were such a considerate person. I''ll have to thank you for giving us that private moment." Han Qingyu''s fists clenched, herposure wavering. "You!! I was always a considerate and polite person!" "Of course," Shen Yuan said, nodding with mock seriousness. "You''re always polite and considerate, Qingyu. That''s one of your most charming qualities." Han Qingyu''s silver eyes widened as her face turned a deeper shade of red. "You¡ª! Stop teasing me!" Shen Yuanughed softly, his yful demeanor shifting to one of genuine warmth. "Alright, alright, I''ll stop. For now." He stepped back, scanning the fieryndscape around them. "It''s time we head back to the sect. The Aurora Zone Myriad Competition ising up, and I have a few things to prepare." Han Qingyuposed herself, adjusting her posture. "Are we taking the same route back?" Shen Yuan shook his head. "No. We''ll take a different path. There''s no point retracing our steps when there''s more of this region to explore." With a wave of his hand, a shimmering portal appeared beside him, and from within emerged a majestic Northern Wind Horse.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The creature stood tall and proud, its sleek silver mane flowing like a gentle breeze, and its hooves faintly glowing with icy light. Han Qingyu''s eyes widened slightly as the beast appeared out of nowhere. "Your artifact really never ceases to amaze me." Shen Yuan smirked as he patted the horse''s neck. "Of course, it''s one of the best artifacts one can possibly find. But only one has been rested well enough for the journey back." He turned to her, his smile turning mischievous. "I suppose we''ll have to ride together. What do you think, Qingyu? Want to join me?" Han Qingyu hesitated, wanting to speak up, but remembering Shen Yuan''s nature she knew that would be futile, "I can just walk¡ª" "Walk? Through this harsh terrain? Don''t be stubborn," Shen Yuan interrupted, his tone teasing. "Come on. It''ll be faster this way, and besides¡­" He leaned slightly closer, his voice dropping to a yful whisper. "You might enjoy it." Han Qingyu huffed, clearly flustered but unwilling to argue further. "Fine," she said, trying to maintain herposure. "But don''t get any strange ideas." Shen Yuan chuckled as he mounted the Northern Wind Horse, extending a hand to her. "Strange ideas? Who, me? I''m the picture of innocence." Han Qingyu shot him a re but took his hand, allowing him to help her onto the horse. She settled in front of him, her posture stiff as she felt her back on his chest. ''Hmm. I should talk with Wan Ling about her.'' She thought while ncing at the stiff body of Han Qingyu in front of him. ''Lan''er, connect me with Wan Ling through Harem Connect.'' [Sure thing.] [Connection Established.] [Ling''er, can you hear me?] [Brother Yuan? What happened?] [I wanted to discuss Han Qingyu with you.] [Oh, I know about her already, hehe, she has been after you for longer than me, and through our interactions I also realized how much she loves you.] Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow in surprise. [I didn''t know you were so perceptive, but yes, I wanted to ask your opinion about her.] [Hmm? Why?] [Oh yes, you don''t know, but I don''t add any members to my harem without the agreement of all of my harem members.] Wan Ling''s voice paused as surprise washed over her, [Huh? Really? Then does that mean Master, Senior Huo Rong, and Elder Shen Yuxin agreed about me joining your harem?] [Haha, were you stressing about how to face themter? No need to worry, they already know about you and I also have their agreement about the two of you.] Wan Ling paused as she didn''t think his entire harem would already know about her. [Well, I don''t have any problem with Sister Qingyu, and the others have already agreed anyways. Hehe, go get her Brother Yuan.] [Haha, you don''t have to say that, winning the hearts of the two of you was one of the main objectives about the trip to this region.] ''But you already had our hearts Brother Yuan.'' She thought to herself with a sweet smile. [Okay, I should go now.] Stay tuned to empire [Hehe, have fun Brother Yuan.] Shen Yuan shook his head at her words before opening his eyes as the Northern Wind Horse carried them swiftly through the rugged terrain. The oppressive heat of the volcanic region gradually faded. The air turned cooler, and the rockyndscape gave way to lush greenery. Towering trees nked their path, their leaves swaying gently in the breeze, and the faint sound of flowing water reached their ears. Han Qingyu, seated stiffly in front of Shen Yuan, tried her best to keep herposure. The close proximity was enough to make her heart race, though she would rather die than admit it. Shen Yuan, on the other hand, seemed entirely at ease, his arm resting casually on the horse''s reins. "Rx, Qingyu," Shen Yuan teased, his warm breath brushing against her ear as he leaned closer. "You''re as stiff as a board. I might start to think you''re afraid of me." "I''m not afraid," Han Qingyu blurted without thinking, her silver eyes darting forward as she tried to ignore the warmth radiating from his body. "This¡­ setup is just unnecessary." "Unnecessary?" Shen Yuan chuckled. "Would you prefer to walk all the way back to the sect? I thought you''d appreciate the convenience." Han Qingyu huffed but said nothing more, her cheeks tinted pink as she focused on the road ahead. The sound of water grew louder, and soon they emerged into a clearing dominated by a stunning waterfall. Crystal-clear water cascaded down a rocky cliff, pooling into a serene, shimmeringke surrounded by vibrant greenery. The air was cool and refreshing, carrying the faint scent of wildflowers. Chapter 281 Han Qingyu Find more chapters on empire "We''ll rest here for the night," Shen Yuan softly said, bringing the Northern Wind Horse to a halt. He dismounted the horse and then extended a hand to help Han Qingyu down. She took the hand gracefully before slowly descending down the horse. Han Qingyu looked around, her silver eyes softening as she took in the tranquil beauty of the ce. "It''s¡­ nice." Shen Yuan smirked as he led the Northern Wind Horse to a nearby tree, tying its reins securely. "I thought so too. You can set up the campsite. I''m going to check the water." "Check the water?" Han Qingyu turned, only to see Shen Yuan already walking toward theke, his robe fluttering slightly in the breeze. Her eyes widened as she realized what he was about to do. "Wait, are you¡ª" "Yes," Shen Yuan said while turning his head back, a yful grin ying on his lips. "I''m taking a bath. The volcanic region was too harsh for my skin, I need to clean myself now." Shen Yuan approached theke with a mischievous smirk, his grin only growing wider as he felt Han Qingyu''s gaze follow him. Turning his head slightly, he called out, "You''re wee to join me, you know. The water''s likely quite refreshing." Han Qingyu''s face flushed instantly. "Who would want to join you? Hmph!" she huffed, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. Her silver eyes moved to the side, refusing to meet his gaze. Shen Yuan chuckled, slipping off his outer robe and neatly folding it before setting it on a nearby rock. "Suit yourself," he replied, his tone filled with amusement. "But don''t me me if you regret missing out on such a perfect spot." He jumped in the river, feeling the cold water wash away the residual heat and fatigue from their journey. Sighing in contentment, Shen Yuan leaned back, letting the water ripple gently around him. From the shore, Han Qingyu stole a nce, her cheeks burning as she saw his toned back and rxed posture. She quickly turned away, muttering to herself. "Why does he have to be so... so shameless?" As if reading her thoughts, Shen Yuan''s voice floated over, teasing and light. "You know, Qingyu, it''s not polite to peek. If you''re curious, juste closer." "I''m not peeking!" Han Qingyu loudly, her voice cracking slightly. She red at him, though her face was still bright red. "Stop talking nonsense and finish up already!" Shen Yuanughed, the sound echoing across the calmke. "Alright, alright. I''ll stop teasing you¡­ probably." ''Hmm, don''t you think Qingyu has changed too much from the time I first met her, Lan''er?'' He softly asked while floating on theke. [Nothing surprising, this must be her true nature, but due to the pressure from her n as well as facing her brother''s death, she was looking for a shoulder to lean on, and you happened to meet her at the perfect time.] Yue Lan calmly analyzed Han Qingyu''s situation. ''Hmm¡­ what you say is indeed the truth, and now I feel as if I took advantage of her vulnerability at that time.'' [Nah, don''t think too much about it, if you hadn''t entered her life then she would probably have been married off to some n as a political move. And her personality is slowly reverting back to what a person from a high-ranking n should be like. Haha, what do you call them in yourst life? Tsundere?] Shen Yuan shook his head, ''Don''t need to remind me about them, and she is nothing like those annoying tsunderes from anime that I used to watch, they would hit the mc for no reason and the dense bastard wouldn''t have a clue¡­ sigh it''s frustrating just to think about it.'' [Haha, looks like you were quite invested in anime in yourst life.] He closed his eyes and said with a smile, ''Of course, me and Yuechan used to watch them all the time together, and sometimes Mom would join us as well¡­'' He got silent as the memories of the past surfaced in his mind once again. [...You will meet up with them once again, as long as you master Space and another Law to a high enough degree.] Shen Yuan slowly opened his eyes, his eyes shining with extreme focus and determination as he asked, ''What is the other Law?'' [#@$@#$] ''Hmm? Why can''t I hear it?'' Shen Yuan asked in confusion. [Oh never mind then, you will probably be able to once you are at a high enough level, since this Law doesn''t have a lesser level like Intent. You need to learn it when reaching a suitable level.] He raised an eyebrow in surprise, ''Is it even higher than space?'' [No, not really. But it is far more elusive than Space, you should be able to guess which it is. But it is for another time, you need to increase your cultivation base first.] ''I know, but the energy from the Primordial Yins is not suitable for refining the cores, it''s far too gentle for such a task. I need to head back and invest some time learning Alchemy to make a pill for Origin Core Refinement Realm,'' he said back while finishing up.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om [Oh that''s a nice n, you should try to reach the peak as soon as possible, but even then I doubt your strength can match those who are at the peak of Dao Core Forming Realm since they will also have intents as well as decent techniques from Divine Tier Sects.] Shen Yuan gazed towards the sky, ''Then I will surpass my limits, and achieve that strength.'' ¡­ After a while, he emerged from the water, droplets glistening on his skin as he shook out his wet hair. His mood had refreshed from the long bath after talking with Yue Lan, he picked up his robe and tied it loosely around himself, his rxed demeanor only adding to his teasing charm. "All yours," he said casually as he walked past Han Qingyu, who quickly looked away to avoid his gaze. "The water''s perfect. You''ll feel much better after a soak." Han Qingyu hesitated, fidgeting with her sleeves. She nced toward theke, the tranquil shimmer of the water tempting her. Finally, she huffed and stood up, brushing past Shen Yuan. "Don''t you dare look!" she said firmly. Shen Yuan raised his hands in mock surrender, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips. "I wouldn''t dream of it." She shot him onest re before heading toward theke, her steps hurried. Shen Yuan, true to his word, turned his back and began setting up the campfire. The crackle of mes soon filled the air, and the faint scent of roasting herbs drifted through the clearing. By the time Han Qingyu returned, her silver hair damp and her cheeks slightly flushed from the cool water, the campfire was burning brightly. Shen Yuan sat cross-legged beside it, a pot of steaming tea resting on a t stone nearby. "Feeling better?" he asked without looking up, his tone softer than before. Han Qingyu nodded, settling down across from him. "Yes. Theke was... refreshing." Shen Yuan poured her a cup of tea, handing it over with a small smile. "Good. You looked like you needed it." Chapter 282 True Feelings They sat togetherfortably in silence for a moment, the flickering fire casting shadows across their faces. The soft chirping of crickets and the gentle rustle of leaves added to the serene atmosphere. Finally, Han Qingyu broke the silence. "Why do you always tease me so much?" Shen Yuan leaned back, a contemtive expression crossing his face. "Maybe because I enjoy seeing the¡­ real you," he said with a soft chuckle. "You''re always running away from your true self with others. Trying to maintain a false aloof fa?ade, it''s nice to see you let your guard down once in a while." Han Qingyu''s silver eyes widened, her cheeks warming slightly as she processed what Shen Yuan had said. She looked down at the tea in her hands, her fingers tightening around the delicate cup. "The real me, huh? And what makes you so sure this isn''t just another facade?" she asked softly, her voiceced with a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty. Shen Yuan''s lips curled into a faint smile as he leaned forward, the soft flickering light of the campfire highlighting the sharp lines of his face. "Because I''ve seen it," he said simply. "In the way you fight, the way you care for others even when you don''t realize it, and the way you let yourself rx when you think no one''s looking." Han Qingyu''s gaze moved up to meet his, startled by the sincerity in his tone. "You''re quite observant," she murmured, her voice wavering. "Too observant I would say." Shen Yuan chuckled, leaning back against a tree trunk. "It''s a habit at this point. Comes with living through¡­ more than one lifetime of experiences." His tone carried a note of mncholy, but it quickly vanished as he looked at her again. "But enough about me. Why don''t you tell me about the real Han Qingyu? The one who was there before I saved you." Han Qingyu hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve. She stared into the campfire, the dancing mes reflecting in her eyes. "The real me..." she echoed, her voice barely audible. "I don''t even know who that is anymore." Shen Yuan''s expression softened further as he watched her struggle with her thoughts. "Then maybe it''s time for you to find out," he said gently. "You don''t have to do it all at once, and you don''t have to do it alone." Han Qingyu''s heart skipped a beat at his words. She nced at him, her usual sharp demeanor softening as a flicker of vulnerability crossed her face. "And you? Would you help me figure that out?" Shen Yuan smiled, a warmth in his eyes that made her chest tighten. "Of course. That''s what I''m here for." Aforting silence ensued as the two of them sat in an unspoken understanding that seemed to bridge the invisible gap between them. After a moment, Shen Yuan broke the silence with a teasing smirk. "But don''t get the wrong idea, my dear Qingyu. I''m not just doing this out of the goodness of my heart. I do expect some gratitude in return." Han Qingyu arched an eyebrow, her lips twitching into a faint smile. "Gratitude? And what exactly do you have in mind?" Shen Yuan tapped his chin thoughtfully, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Hmm, let''s start small. How about you stop ring at me every time I tease you? It''s not my fault you''re so easy to fluster." Han Qingyu let out a softugh, surprising even herself. "You''re too stubborn, you know that?" "I''ve been told that more times than I can count," Shen Yuan replied with a wink. "But you''re still here, aren''t you?" Han Qingyu shook her head, a genuine smile gracing her lips. "You''re insufferable." "And yet, strangely charming," Shen Yuan quipped with a light and yful tone. Han Qingyu took a sip of her tea, her lips shing with a beautiful smile as she looked at him. "You''re not wrong." The night wore on as the two continued to talk, their conversation flowing naturally as the walls that Han Qingyu had unconsciously been keeping between them began to crumble. Han Qingyu found herselfughing more than she had in years, while Shen Yuan reveled in the rare sight of her true expressions. As the fire dwindled to embers, Shen Yuan nced up at the sky, his gaze thoughtful. "The moon is beautiful tonight," he remarked. "Reminds me of the nights I used to spend staring at them, wondering what the future held." Han Qingyu followed his gaze, her silver eyes shimmering in the faint starlight. "And now? Do you still wonder?" Shen Yuan turned his head to look at her, his expression soft but unwavering. "Not as much anymore. These days, I think more about the present¡­ and the people who make it worthwhile for me to live." She raised an eyebrow at his words and curiously asked, "Am I also one of those people?" Shen Yuan nced at her with a faint smirk on his face. "Of course, you are one of them. One of the most important as well." Han Qingyu felt her breath catch as his words sank in. She looked away, her cheeks tinged with a light blush. "You really know how to say the right things, don''t you?" "It''s not about saying the right things," Shen Yuan said, his voice filled with sincerity. "It''s about saying what I mean." Han Qingyu met his gaze once more, her heart pounding as she realized how close they had be. The warmth of the campfire and the chirping of the insects seemed to fade, leaving only the heat of his presence and the unspoken connection between them. Find your next adventure on empire "Brother Yuan..." she began, her voice faltering. Shen Yuan reached out, gently taking her hand in his. "Qingyu, you don''t have to say anything. Just¡­ be yourself, and live for what you truly feel."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Han Qingyu''s silver eyes stared at his, her defenses crumblingpletely as she allowed herself to lean into the moment. Slowly, Shen Yuan leaned closer, his movements careful and gentle. Their lips met in a gentle, lingering kiss, a moment of vulnerability and trust that spoke louder than words. When they finally pulled apart, Shen Yuan smiled, his hand still holding hers. "See? That wasn''t so bad, was it?" he teased softly. Han Qingyu rolled her eyes, though her smile betrayed her. "You''re lucky I didn''t just run away." "Luck has nothing to do with it, my charm is just that high." Shen Yuan replied, his grin widening. As the night deepened, the two sat together by the dying fire, continuing to chat and talk about their past. Shen Yuan also shared his stories about his training when he was little, while she told him about what she had done as the Young Miss of the Han n. For the first time in a long while, Han Qingyu felt at peace¡ªand perhaps, even a little hopeful for the future. [Hmm, this is good as well, their rtionship progressed since thest remaining piece in their story wasmunication, which sadly most peopleck nowadays.] Yue Lan thought to herself while silently looking at the two of them talking. Chapter 283 Propose The night passed with the two of them chatting andughing together. The crackling fire had long since reduced to embers, but Shen Yuan and Han Qingyu barely spared it a nce as they shared stories of the past with each other. The bond between them deepened with every word spoken, every nce exchanged. As the first rays of sun dawned upon the horizon, the cool morning breeze stirred the leaves, carrying with it a soft fragrance of nature. Shen Yuan leaned back, resting his body on his arms as he gazed at the myriad colors in the sky. "It''s beautiful, isn''t it?" he murmured, his voice carrying a rare note of wonder. Han Qingyu followed his gaze, her silver eyes shimmering with the soft glow of dawn. "It is," she replied softly, her voice gentle. "Though I think... it''s due to yourpany that it is so." Shen Yuan turned to her, his lips curling into a faint smile. For a moment, he simply watched her, memorizing the way the soft morning light rested across her features, highlighting her natural beauty. Then, with solid confidence, he reached out, gently taking her hand in his. "Qingyu," he began, his tone turning serious. The teasing yfulness that often apanied his words when he talked with Han Qingyu was absent now, reced by something deeper. "I''ve always believed that life is fleeting, even for those of us who cultivate to defy the heavens. Moments like these, shared with people we care about, are rare and precious, especially for us cultivators when we spend a ridiculous amount of time in seclusion." Han Qingyu''s heart skipped a beat as she looked at him, his ck eyes holding a sincerity that made her chest tighten. "Brother Yuan... what are you trying to say?" Shen Yuan''s fingers tightened around hers, his gaze bing firm. "What I''m saying is¡­ I don''t want to waste any more time. I want you to know how much you mean to me. Qingyu, will you stand by my side¡ªnot just as mypanion in this journey but as my wife?" Han Qingyu''s breath caught, her silver eyes widening in shock. Her hand trembled slightly in his, but the warmth of his touch calmed her down. For a moment, she was speechless, her mind racing with emotions too overwhelming to put into words. Seeing her hesitation, Shen Yuan chuckled softly, his voice gentle and reassuring. "No need to answer right away. Take your time¡ª" "Yes." Her voice cut through his words, excited and clear despite the trembling smile that now graced her lips. "Yes, Brother Yuan. I''ll stand by your side." Shen Yuan''s smile widened, his expression softening as he gently looked at her. "You have no idea how happy that makes me." Han Qingyu''s cheeks turned a faint pink as she averted her gaze, though her hand remained firmly sped in his. "You''re insufferable, you know that? Proposing so suddenly like this¡­" "And yet, strangely charming," Shen Yuan quipped, earning a lightugh from her. [Ding!] [Congrattions Host for adding Han Qingyu as your Harem Member. You have acquired Verdant Ember Phoenix Legacy.] He ignored the notification for now as before she could respond, he leaned forward, his free hand brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. His touch lingered on her face, and when she looked at him again, her heart raced at the intensity in his gaze. "May I?" he asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper. Han Qingyu nodded, her breath hitching as he closed the distance between them. Shen Yuan and Han Qingyu''s lips met as she felt a chill running down her spine at the intensity of the kiss. It was more intimate than anything she had ever experienced. It was a promise, a seal of the bond they had just forged. Her hands moved instinctively to rest against his chest, feeling the calm rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her palms. As they pulled away, Shen Yuan rested his forehead against hers, his eyes glinting with a mixture of mischief and tenderness. "You''re not going to run away now, are you?" Han Qingyu rolled her eyes, though her smile was brighter than the morning sun. "You''re stuck with me now, Brother Yuan. Don''t even think about escaping." Shen Yuanughed, a genuineugh that echoed through the clearing. "I wouldn''t dream of it." The two sat together as the sun fully broke over the horizon, its golden rays casting a warm glow over the forest. The Northern Wind Horse stirred nearby as it slowly woke up, sensing the shift in the atmosphere as the new day began. Both of them stood up as they prepared for the journey ahead. Shen Yuan helped Han Qingyu onto the Northern Wind Horse, their hands briefly brushing against each other. She smiled softly, her silver eyes sparkling with fondness. "Ready for the journey ahead?" Shen Yuan asked as he mounted behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist tightly. Han Qingyu gave a small nod, her voice gentle but tinged with curiosity. "As long as I''m with you, though I wonder where we will go from here." Shen Yuan smirked, his tone yful. "A few Imperial Empires, a handful of good ces, and perhaps a few death seekers. Nothing we can''t handle." With a light nudge, the Northern Wind Horse began its steady gallop through the forest, its silver mane catching the breeze. Shen Yuan''s gaze moved toward the notification that he had heard earlier. [Congrattions Host for adding Han Qingyu as your Harem Member. You have acquired Verdant Ember Phoenix Legacy.] ''A legacy? That''s quite generous of you, Lan''er,'' he softly said in his mind. [Nothing to do with it, it all depends on the person whom you added in your harem. From the looks of it, she has a talent for alchemy. Hehe, you better focus on alchemy now so you can impress herter.] He shook his head. ''I do not need to impress her further, she is already with me now. But you are correct, in order to help her, I need to improve my alchemy skills. It would be better if I could be a Heaven Grade Alchemist.'' [You might reach Low to Mid Grade Heaven rank with your new talent, anything higher than that would require you to increase your cultivation base.]N?v(el)B\\jnn Shen Yuan lightly looked down to see Han Qingyu softly humming a tune while leaning back on his chest. His smile softened. ''That matters not, I will do it to help herter. First, she needs to improve her cultivation base as well.'' [Do what you will, you need to do a lot of things either way.] Shen Yuan nodded his head and continued on their journey. The first stop on their journey was the Verdant Imperial Empire, known for its lushndscapes and intricate jade architecture. The capital city was a masterpiece of greenery and carved stone, its streets teeming with merchants and cultivators. As Shen Yuan and Han Qingyu entered the city gates, the guards bowed respectfully upon noticing the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect insignia on their robes. News of the sect''s disciples always brought a mixture of awe and reverence among the locals. Chapter 284 Returning To Sect Han Qingyu gazed at the bustling markets, her silver eyes lighting up as she spotted high-tier spiritual herbs disyed by merchants. "This ce is beautiful," she remarked, her voice tinged with wonder. Shen Yuan chuckled. "It''s a treasure trove for cultivators and merchants alike. Let''s explore the city a bit." They wandered through the streets, Han Qingyu stopping asionally to examine herbs and artifacts while Shen Yuan observed her with quiet amusement. At one stall, an elderly merchant offered a rare zing Moonflower, which Han Qingyu purchased, knowing it would be quite useful for alchemical purposes. As they prepared to leave the empire, a group of rogue cultivators blocked their path, their leader grinning arrogantly. "Hand over your treasures, and we''ll let you go unharmed." Shen Yuan sighed, stepping forward with a calm expression. "Why are there so many of you bastards everywhere?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The fight was brief and decisive. Shen Yuan''s sword sliced with precision, his movements fluid and lethal. Han Qingyu supported him with her spear, her Tempest Spear Art scattering their foes like leaves in a storm. The rogues died or fled, leaving behind their stolen loot, which Shen Yuan returned to the local city before they continued on their way. ¡­ The journey led them next to the Crimson Sun Imperial Empire, and of vibrant deserts and towering sandstone cities. The empire was renowned for its martial prowess and its allegiance to the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect. Read thetest on empire Han Qingyu admired the crimson-hued architecture, holding Shen Yuan''s hand lightly as they walked through the bustling streets. "I''ve heard the cultivators of this region are among the most reckless in the region," she said. "They are," Shen Yuan replied. "But they also valuepanionship and loyalty above all else. That''s why the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect holds such sway here." In the heart of the empire''s capital, they were invited to a grand banquet by one of the Dukes, an old ally of the sect. The feast was a lively affair, with music, dancing, and spirited conversation. Han Qingyu''s reserved demeanor softened as sheughed at Shen Yuan''s asional jokes, her heart melting even further for him. During the banquet, the Crown Prince, Yan Xihuang, approached Shen Yuan, seeking guidance in swordsmanship. With a faint smile, Shen Yuan offered a brief demonstration, his movements so precise and graceful that even the higher-ranked cultivators in the banquet watched in awe. As they left the Crimson Sun Empire, Han Qingyu nced at Shen Yuan. "You enjoy teaching, don''t you?" "It''s¡­ fulfilling," Shen Yuan nodded. "It''s a way to pass on knowledge and see others grow. After all, I don''t want these awesome techniques to be lost with me if I left one day." ¡­ The towering peaks of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect came into view as the sun began its descent. The familiar sight of the sect, its various peaks bathed in golden light, filled Han Qingyu with a sense of belonging. As they approached the sect gates, disciples began to whisper amongst themselves as they saw Han Qingyu seated in front of Shen Yuan, while those at the front greeted him with respect without daring to pass a remark. Han Qingyu couldn''t help but notice the admiration in their eyes, though Shen Yuan seemed unaffected by the attention. At the main gates, Shen Yuan dismounted and helped Han Qingyu down. She stood before him, her silver eyes meeting his. "This is where we part ways, isn''t it?" she asked softly. "Huh? No, not at all. This is where our new life will begin," Shen Yuan replied, his voice filled with tenderness. "You cane and visit me anytime, you know." Han Qingyu hesitated, then reached out, her fingers brushing against his. "Thank you... for everything." Shen Yuan smiled, his hand resting on hers. "You''ve made this journey quite fun for me, and I was able to aplish the things that I needed to do there as well." He stood quietly for a moment, watching Han Qingyu as she prepared to return to her duties. A sudden thought struck him, and his brows furrowed slightly. "Wait," he said, reaching into his inventory. "There''s something I almost forgot." Han Qingyu tilted her head, curiosity shing in her eyes. "What is it, Brother Yuan?" From the inventory, Shen Yuan retrieved an ancient jade slip, its surface glowing faintly with a golden light. "This is an inheritance that I came across during one of my adventures. It''s a perfect match for you." Han Qingyu''s silver eyes widened as she reached out to take the jade slip. "An inheritance? For me?" Shen Yuan nodded, his expression serious. "It''s not just any inheritance. The Verdant Ember Phoenix Legacy will enhance your cultivation and synergize with your physique, allowing you to unleash its full potential. "However, it will require you to change your current cultivation technique just like Wan Ling did. And that will once again be extremely hard." Han Qingyu held the jade slip close, her gaze filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Brother Yuan. I''ll make sure to cultivate diligently." Shen Yuan smiled, cing a hand on her shoulder. "I know you will. But it''s best to practice this in seclusion. Let me send you to a secluded space where you can focus without distractions." Han Qingyu''s eyes lit up as she asked, "Is it the same ce where you sent Wan Ling?" Shen Yuan nodded his head with a smile as he waved his hand. A portal appeared into existence, glowing faintly with otherworldly lights. "This space will help you make the most of your time," Shen Yuan exined. "You''ll be able to focus on your cultivation, and I''ll check on you periodically." Han Qingyu stepped closer to the portal, her silver eyes meeting his onest time. "I won''t let you down, Brother Yuan." "I know you won''t," Shen Yuan said softly, his gaze warm. "Now go. I''ll handle everything else here." Han Qingyu nodded and stepped through the portal, disappearing into the otherworldly lights. The portal closed behind her, leaving Shen Yuan standing alone at the sect gates. ¡­ Shen Yuan entered the sect administrative hall, his presence drawing immediate attention. The disciples and elders present turned toward him, their expressions a mix of awe and curiosity. An elder stepped forward, her brow slightly furrowed. "Shen Yuan, you''ve returned. What of the disciples who apanied you? Han Qingyu and Wan Ling?" Shen Yuan sped his hands politely. "They are both safe. I have made sure of that." The elder nodded, though her expression remained skeptical. "It''s good to hear they are safe, but the Sect Master will want a full report on this journey of yours since she pays special attention to you. And where exactly¡ª" Before the elder could finish, amanding voice cut through the air. "That''s enough. I''ll handle this." Everyone turned as Huo Rong strode into the Administrative Hall. Her very presence exuded authority, and the disciples stepped back respectfully, bowing as she approached. Huo Rong''s crimson robes flowed gracefully as she stopped beside Shen Yuan, her sharp eyes sweeping over the gathered elders. "My little brother doesn''t need to exin himself to everyone here. If there''s a report to be made, it''ll be given directly to the Sect Master." The elder hesitated, then bowed her head. "Of course, Elder Huo Rong." Chapter 285 Chat with Huo Rong Huo Rong led Shen Yuan straight back to his courtyard within the Inner Sect through various Spatial Portals, where they sat beneath the Cherry Blossom Tree. The serene atmosphere made their minds peaceful. Shen Yuan leaned back against the cherry blossom tree, the soft pink petals drifting down around him as the gentle breeze passed through the courtyard. Huo Rong sat across from him, her crimson robes a striking contrast against the delicate scenery. Her gaze softened slightly as she looked at her younger brother, her expression a mix of curiosity and affection. "So," Huo Rong began, crossing her arms as she leaned slightly forward. "Want to tell me what happened during your journey?" Shen Yuan chuckled lightly, his gaze drifting to the sky as he began recounting the events. "It started with the exploration of that misty forest, then the volcanic region. "The heat, the treasures, and of course, the rogue cultivators who thought they could get something from us. Wan Ling and Han Qingyu also improved a lot during this time, but the challenges they faced were far from simple." Discover stories at empire Huo Rong listened intently, her eyes narrowing sharply as he spoke. "And these rogue cultivators? Did you deal with them thoroughly?" Shen Yuan smirked, his tone nonchnt. "Of course. I made sure they wouldn''t trouble anyone again, or at least they wouldn''t be a problem for a long time. But the real progress wasn''t just in defeating those weaklings. "Han Qingyu found her resolve to push past her limits, and I helped her begin a new path with the Verdant Ember Phoenix Legacy. Wan Ling, too, started walking a new path with the Bloodline I got for her through Yue Lan." Huo Rong''s expression warmed a flicker of pride in her eyes. "It seems you''ve done more than just explore the surrounding region, Yuan''er. You''ve guided them in ways even most Masters wouldn''t bother with for their disciples. That''smendable." Shen Yuan met her gaze, his usual teasing demeanor softening into something more serious. "They''ve ced their trust in me, Sister Rong. I can''t let them fall behind. But it wasn''t just about them. This journey reminded me of the responsibilities I carry¡ªnot just for myself, but for those around me." Huo Rong''s eyes softened further, her lips curving into a faint smile. "You''ve matured, Yuan''er. I can see it in the way you speak, in the way you carry yourself now. But don''t forget, even someone as strong as you need support." Shen Yuan leaned forward slightly, his gaze locking with hers. "And I''ve always had that support from my family and you, Sister Rong. You''ve been my guide, my protector. Without you, I wouldn''t be the man I am today." Huo Rong''s cheeks flushed faintly, a rare disy of vulnerability. She looked away for a moment, her fingers brushing against the delicate petals of the cherry blossom. "Yuan''er, where did you learn to say the right things at the right time? But I didn''t do this for praise. I did it because you''re my family." Shen Yuan reached out, gently taking her hand in his. "And because of that, I owe you more than words can express." The air between them grew still, the gentle rustling of the cherry blossoms being the only sound. Huo Rong turned back to him, her eyes glimmering with an emotion she rarely showed to others¡ªaffection, tinged with something deeper. "Yuan''er," she began, her voice softer than before. "You are really bing more and more attractive as time passes. I can''t imagine my life without you as a brother and as my¡­ husband." Her cheeks flushed pink as she finished her words. Shen Yuan''s breath hitched slightly, his gentle gaze never leaving hers. The distance between them seemed to shrink, the soft pink light of the blossoms casting an ethereal glow around them. "Big Sis Rong," he murmured, his voice filled with yfulness. "I didn''t know you could express yourself like that. Looks like all the time we spent during dual cultivation did wonders for you." Shen Yuan leaned in closer, his yful smirk softening into a more tender expression as his fingers brushed against Huo Rong''s flushed cheek. The faint pink glow of the cherry blossoms illuminated her face, entuating her beauty and vulnerability in a way that made his heart race. "Big Sis Rong," he murmured, his voice dropping to a deeper, more intimate tone, "you''ve always been more than just my big sister. You''re my partner, my love."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Huo Rong''s breath hitched at his words, her crimson eyes shimmering with a mix of emotions¡ªdesire, love, and a hint of shyness. But there was no hesitation in her gaze as she leaned closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "Yuan''er¡­ you''re the only one I''ve ever wanted. The only one I''ll ever need." Her words acted as the final catalyst. Shen Yuan closed the remaining distance between them, his lips capturing hers in a searing kiss. The intensity of their kiss was palpable, a fire igniting between them that had been stoked over their time together but now burned with unrestrained passion. Huo Rong''s arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer as the kiss deepened. Shen Yuan''s hands found their way to her waist, holding her firmly yet tenderly, as if afraid she might slip away. While kissing, he began to softly fondle her, his hands exploring with a reverent yet possessive touch, as if imprinting the memory of this moment. Her soft lips moved against his with a fervor that matched his own, their lips growing wet from the intensity of the kiss. The cherry blossoms around them flew in the breeze, their delicate petals cascading down like a blessing upon the pair as it created a beautiful painting around them. The world around them seemed to fade, leaving only the heat of their kiss and the love they shared. When they finally broke apart, their foreheads rested together, their breaths ragged. Huo Rong''s cheeks were flushed, her crimson eyes half-closed as she gazed at Shen Yuan. "Yuan''er¡­ you always know how to make me lose control." Shen Yuan chuckled softly, his hands gently caressing her back. "As if you don''t do the same, Big Sis. Every time I look at you, I''m reminded of how lucky I am to have you by my side." Huo Rong smiled, her lips curling into a mischievous smirk. "How sweet of you. But you''re not getting off that easily." Before Shen Yuan could respond, Huo Rong pulled him into another kiss, this one softer but no less passionate. Her fingers tangled in his hair as she poured her emotions into the act, leaving him breathless. ''As if I want to be let off easily.'' He thought while pulling her closer in a hug. As they finally parted again, Shen Yuan leaned back against the cherry blossom tree, pulling Huo Rong onto hisp. She rested her head against his chest, her arms drapedzily around his shoulders as they enjoyed the quiet intimacy of the moment. "You know," Huo Rong said softly, her voice carrying a teasing edge, "we should probably head back to our duties soon. The Sect Master might not appreciate me spending all day under this tree." Chapter 286 Visit To The Treasury Shen Yuan chuckled, his fingers idly tracing circles on her back. "Let her wait. This is our time, and I''m not letting anyone interrupt it." Huo Rong sighed contentedly, a smile ying on her lips as she closed her eyes, savoring the warmth of his embrace. "Hehe, I quite like the sound of that, Yuan''er. I wouldn''t have it any other way anyway." They spent quite some time peacefully together until Huo Rong reluctantly pulled herself away, her arms lingering around Shen Yuan''s shoulders for a moment longer, as if savoring the closeness. Her crimson eyes softened as she looked at him, her lips curving into a yful smile. "I suppose I can''t shirk my responsibilities forever," she said, brushing a stray cherry blossom petal from his hair. "But don''t think this means I''m done with you, Yuan''er. There''s always tonight." Shen Yuan chuckled, leaning back against the tree with azy confidence. "I might not be able to attend to you at that time. I might enter closed-door cultivation to improve my skills and raise my cultivation base." His expression turned mischievous as he smiled and continued, "But if you really want to do it so much, I suppose I can dy it by a day or two." She rolled her eyes yfully, though her cheeks carried a faint blush. "No need for that; you can enter closed-door cultivation in peace." With onest nce at him, she activated her Fire Intent. A shimmering me surrounded her as she nced back at him onest time. "Don''t get into too much trouble while I''m gone." And she vanished like a wisp of me. As the fire dissipated, Shen Yuan''s expression grew contemtive. The warmth of their moment faded into calm thought as he shifted his focus to the challenges ahead. The courtyard grew quiet, except for the asional rustle of the cherry blossoms in the breeze. Shen Yuan leaned forward, his hands sped loosely in front of him as his mind raced. The uingpetition was drawing closer, and with it came both opportunity and danger. Even if the danger was minimal for him, it was there nheless. This wasn''t just anypetition; it was a proving ground for the most elite disciples across the region, a chance to gain prestige, resources, and connections¡ªor to be a target for those who couldn''t stand his rapid rise. He closed his eyes, visualizing the key participants he had heard whispers about. The Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect would undoubtedly send their best, with several Core Disciples aiming for the top ranks. The Thunder Cloud Sect, though not an ally, was also expected to field powerful contenders as it was on the same level as the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect. Their disciples were known for their ruthless Thunder Arts, and Shen Yuan had no doubt they would aim to dominate the event, just as they tried to during the Inter-Sectpetition some time ago. Then there were the rogue cultivators¡ªwild cards with unpredictable styles and techniques. Shen Yuan couldn''t dismiss them, either. Some of the most dangerous enemies were those who had nothing to lose. "I need to make quite a lot of preparations," Shen Yuan muttered to himself, standing up and dusting off his robes. He stretched his hand out, summoning his Crimson Devourer sword. The de hummed softly in his grasp, its crimson glow reflecting his fiery determination to reach the peak. It wasn''t just his skill or his cultivation that he needed to refine; his understanding of his own weapon intents, elemental intents, and the techniques he had yet to master would be critical in ensuring victory. His next steps crystallized in his mind: Refine Weapon Intents: He was already proficient in several weapon intents, but thepetition would require adaptability. He needed to polish his intents to the third level before thepetition began. Increase Proficiency in Alchemy and cksmithing: He needed to enhance his alchemy mastery to create pills for breakthroughs since the ones in the marketcked the quality he desired. His cksmithing abilities also needed improvement to further refine his Crimson Devourer. Opponents: Gathering information on potential rivals would be key. He''d have to send Lian Fang to collect intelligence discreetly. Prepare Han Qingyu and Wan Ling: Thepetition wasn''t just for him. He needed to ensure hispanions were ready as well. Their progress would reflect on his leadership. As he finalized his ns, Shen Yuan felt a surge of excitement. Thepetition wasn''t just a challenge; it was an opportunity to solidify his ce among the elite, to prove that his name deserved to be spoken with reverence¡ªor fear. He would ensure the world remembered his name for all eternity. A smirk tugged at his lips as he gazed at the cherry blossom tree once more. "Let''s see who dares to stand in my way." His thoughts shifted to the materials he needed for alchemy and cksmithing. "Hmm, I should go and take some materials from the Inner Sect Treasury. I need to take advantage of this medallion that the Sect Leader gave me." He yfully smiled before stepping out of his courtyard.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The cherry blossom tree swayed gently behind him, as if bidding him farewell. He enjoyed the calm atmosphere while walking along the mountain path. Soon, he reached a portal where disciples were guarding the ce. He smiled at them while they bowed in respect. He gave them the required fees before entering the portal and heading toward the Inner Sect Treasure Hall. The treasury of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect still stood like a fortress of wealth and knowledge as he remembered it. Its towering jade gates shimmered with protective runes, and the intricate carvings of lotus flowers glowed faintly under the sunlight. As Shen Yuan approached, the disciples stationed at the entrance immediately recognized him. They straightened, bowing deeply in respect. "Senior Brother Shen," one of them said, his tone formal yet respectful. "The Sect Leader''s medallion grants you unrestricted ess. Please, proceed." They were already used to his presence, as he had used the medallion to enter before as well. With a slight nod and a gentle smile, Shen Yuan stepped forward, his calm demeanormanding their attention. The gates parted soundlessly, opening into the grand expanse of the treasury. Inside, he entered another gate with his medallion before being granted full ess to the treasury. It was a marvel of organization and abundance. Endless shelves filled with rare herbs, ores, scrolls, and artifacts stretched out in all directions. A faint luminescence surrounded each item, indicating its immense value and power. Shen Yuan''s gaze sharply scanned the rows as he made his way to the alchemy section first. Here, shelves brimming with vibrant herbs and rare spiritual materials stood before him. Each container held a unique treasure, carefullybeled and preserved. He selected several key ingredients: Azure me Orchid: Known to enhance pill potency. Dragon Marrow Grass: Essential for creating breakthrough elixirs. Verdant Crystal Flowers: Perfect for refining Essence-restoring pills. Moonlight Dewdrops: A rare liquid that improved the purity of concoctions. A Tier 4 Alchemy Cauldron. Recipes. Alchemy Refinement Techniques. ... And much more. After he was satisfied with his selections, Shen Yuan moved to the cksmithing section. Chapter 287 Improvements in Alchemy This area of the treasury held an entirely different energy¡ªone of raw power and intensity. Shelves lined with glimmering ores and forging materials beckoned to him, each exuding a unique elemental aura. His fingers hovered over the collection before picking out: Starfire Ore: Renowned for amplifying weapon resonance.Eternal Night Iron: A rare material that increases a weapon''s durability and adaptability to multiple intents.Skyme Embers: Perfect for infusing weapons with fire-based properties.cksmithing Techniques ¡­ And quite a few more different elemental ores. As he gathered the materials, Shen Yuan couldn''t help but smirk. The treasures here were far beyond what most disciples could ever dream of essing. But with the Sect Leader''s medallion in hand, he had the privilege to take whatever he wished from here. He left the treasury with his storage ring brimming with all sorts of raw materials and herbs. Shen Yuan nodded to the guards at the entrance once more before making his way back to the portals and heading back to his courtyard. The path was serene, the soft hum of the sect''s energy calming his mind as he mentally nned his next steps. Upon reaching the courtyard, he activated his system''s Dual Cultivation Space. A shimmering portal opened before him, revealing the pristine expanse of his personal system space. Without hesitation, Shen Yuan stepped through, the world around him shifting as he entered the Dual Cultivation Chamber. Shen Yuan stepped into the same room of the Dual Cultivation Chamber that he had used before for training. The tranquil atmosphere was the perfect ce for cultivation. The formations on the chamber walls glowed faintly, resonating with the dense Qi that filled the space.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "Even cultivation alone is quite a lot better than the outside world." Shen Yuan nodded to himself before walking toward the center of the room and taking out a few pieces of equipment, such as the cauldron and other tools for alchemy. He set a few of the alchemical herbs he had gathered onto the stone table, each pulsating with faint energy. The Azure me Orchid, Dragon Marrow Grass, and Verdant Crystal Flowers, along with a lot of other types of herbs to be used as main and supplementary ingredients, seemed to hum in harmony with the chamber''s Essence, almost eager to be refined. "Let''s make a Tier 1 pill as a warm-up," he said lightly. He began by cing all the herbs in order ording to the recipe, which took a bit of time as he remembered all the recipes he had taken from the treasury as well as from Green Mountain City. After finishing putting all the herbs in order, he began processing the required herbs for the first recipe: Grinding some herbs into fine powder, soaking others in special liquid, and preparing the rest ording to the instructions. It didn''t take long before he finished processing all of the herbs and ced them at the side of the cauldron. He sat in front of the cauldron, taking a deep breath before lighting it with a flick of his hand. Shen Yuan summoned the long-unused Alchemy mes that danced on his fingers. "Hmm? The color of the fire seems to have changed¡ªit''s golden now?" He tilted his head, looking at the new color of the Alchemy Fire. Shaking his head, he focused back on the cauldron. One by one, the herbs were added, each releasing its spiritual energy under his careful maniption. As he continued forming the pill, he began noticing something strange. Each step of the refining process felt smoother as if the actions were second nature to him. The proportions, which once required precise calctions, now came intuitively to him. The spiritual energies of the herbs merged wlessly under his control, forming a perfect blend. When the first cauldron of pills condensed, it emitted a brilliant golden glow, and three veins appeared on its surface¡ªmarking it as a high-grade pill of extraordinary quality. Shen Yuan''s eyes widened in surprise before he fell into contemtion. [Wow, you actually managed to form Ascended Tier Pills? I wasn''t expecting you to reach such a level so fast.] He ignored her for now, his entire focus on the pill. "This... shouldn''t be this easy," he muttered, examining the pill closely. He set it aside and started refining another batch. Once again, the process was effortless, and the result was another high-grade pill with two pill veins. His brows furrowed as he paused to reflect. His alchemy skills were improving at an rming rate, far beyond what he had anticipated. It was as if a veil had been lifted, allowing him to perceive alchemy on a deeper level. "This isn''t normal," Shen Yuan murmured. "It''s almost the same as when my cksmithing talent was improved." [Oh, it was due to that dream.] Shen Yuan nodded his head. "Yes, that dream¡­ it was¡­ something else." Shen Yuan felt chills running down his back as he remembered that bone-chilling scene in that void. [¡­So it affected not only your cksmithing talent but also your Alchemy talent. Looks like your bloodline wants you to improve your professions as well.] "Well, it is a good thing for me, though I still don''t know what exactly that dream was," he said, taking a deep breath and focusing on the task at hand. "Anyway, it is a good thing for me. Now I can improve my Alchemy Skills drastically." A faint smile curled his lips as his gazended on the processed herbs. [Hehe, don''t you want to know the current rank of your Alchemy Talent?] Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow. "I''m indeed curious, but I can guess it''s around the same as my cksmith Talent." [Alchemy Talent: High-Grade Emperor Rank.] Shen Yuan''s smile widened as he saw the absurd rank of his Alchemy talent. "With this, I''m probably the most gifted Alchemist on this. Can''t let this talent go to waste¡ªtime for improvements." Shen Yuan dove back into refining pills. He started from the basic Tier 1 pills, slowly raising their grade from Low Mortal to Mid Mortal, and eventually to Peak Mortal Tier Pills. Nearly all the pills exuded a golden aura with Pill Veins ranging from 2-4. [These are all exceptional pills. I doubt you can find such high-rank pills in the entire Eastern Deste Region.] Shen Yuan nodded. "The inferior techniques of this region are restricting my refinement progress. Otherwise, I would be able to refine pills of much higher quality." [Why don''t you use the inheritance of the Verdant me Phoenix Legacy? I''m sure it has a lot of high-quality refinement techniques, not only alchemy techniques but also me Control techniques.] Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow. "But didn''t I already give that inheritance to Qingyu?" [Who gave you that inheritance? Of course, I can always make copies of the stuff I''ve given you.] Yue Lan''s prideful voice echoed in his mind. Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up. "That''s awesome! Then give me the¡ª" [Just take the entire inheritance. I''m feeling generous today.] Before Shen Yuan could say anything, an insane amount of information began imprinting itself into his Sea of Consciousness, forming a new rune that seemed to be lit with fire. His eyes opened wide as he tried to process all the things going on at once inside his head. Chapter 288 Pure Heart Flame He tried to adjust his posture and focus to digest all the information. [Just bear with it for a while; the technique will finish imprinting soon.] Yue Lan''s soothing voice echoed in his mind. Shen Yuan took a deep breath as the influx of information from the Verdant me Phoenix Legacy settled into his consciousness. The sheer magnitude of the inheritance left him momentarily stunned, but his curiosity quickly took over. "This¡­ this is incredible," he muttered, his voice filled with awe. The vastness of the knowledge, techniques, and skills that he gained from the inheritance truly opened his eyes. "Yue Lan, you''ve outdone yourself this time. I think this might even be higher than the Pagoda Bearing Monarch Legacy, which I still haven''t been able to open." [Hehe, of course! I always provide the best, don''t I? You might be able to unlock that pagoda treasury when you break through to the next level. Now, don''t keep waiting¡ªexplore it!] Shen Yuan chuckled, shaking his head. "Have some patience." Closing his eyes, he focused on the newly formed rune within his Sea of Consciousness. As he probed it with his spiritual sense, a flood of categories and options appeared before him. Among the most prominent was a powerful Emperor Tier me control art, divided into five progressive levels. "The Crimson Lotus me Art¡­" Shen Yuan softly said as the details of the technique flowed into his mind. He carefully looked at the details of the technique and realized that it was not an offensive or defensive technique; it was a me control technique for alchemy. With each of its levels being tailored for alchemy, it was designed to draw out the maximum potential of a me, refining its intensity, control, and utility for alchemy. He quickly reviewed the contents of the art:n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Lotus Spark ¨C The foundational level, refining the essence of the me to enhance its purity and stability, allowing for precise temperature control during pill refinement. Suited for Spirit Level Pill refinement. Blossoming Inferno ¨C Techniques to intensify the me without losing control, enabling the refinement of higher-grade ingredients and unlocking the potential to forgeplex pills. Suited for Earth Level Pill refinement. Petals of Precision ¨C Bestowing the me with pinpoint uracy, allowing it to differentiate between impurities and essence within ingredients, ensuring maximum extraction of potency. Suited for Heaven Level Pill refinement. Crimson Bloom ¨C A supreme level that allows the me to envelop ingredients entirely, creating a seamless fusion of elements and vastly improving the quality of refined pills. Suited for King Level Pill refinement. Emperor''s Burning Heart ¨C Perfect mastery over the Emperor Tier mes and below, grantingplete dominion and synchronization with the user''s will. The me would not only respond instantly but also carry an innate wisdom to assist in refining and purifying all types of herbs. Suited for Emperor Level Pill refinement. Shen Yuan''s eyes shone brightly in excitement as he read the details of the technique. The potential of the technique was enough for him for a long time. "I need to find higher-quality mes to absorb. My current alchemy me is being restricted by my cultivation base." He frowned and thought. [You can absorb the me from that Pure me Heart Crystal that you got before in that chamber. It has a Heaven Rank Earthly me inside of it, after all.] Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow and took out the Pure me Heart Crystal. The temperature inside the room skyrocketed as the crystal exuded extreme heat. "There is a me inside of it?" [Yes, and quite a strong one at that. It''s nearly a Peak Earthly me, but due to its lowly origin, it can never reach the Heavenly me ranks.] Shen Yuan nodded his head. "That doesn''t matter. How should I go about absorbing this me?" [Hmm¡­ You only need to grab it with your hands and flow your Alchemy Fire inside of it, and a wisp of Pure Heart me Essence will flow back with it. You need to absorb and integrate it with the core of your Alchemy Fire in your Main Dantian, and after the sessful integration, you can absorb the entire Pure Heart me from that stone.] [You will be left with a decent Heaven-Grade material to forge weapons with after that. But you better be careful with the integration; it can blow up as well if you are not careful enough.] Shen Yuan listened intently to what she said before sitting in the lotus position. He began by cing the Pure me Heart Crystal in the center of his hands. Taking a deep breath, he activated his Alchemy Fire, letting it flow slowly from his hands toward the Crystal. "Steady¡­steady¡­" He softly murmured to himself as the Alchemy Fire ignited on his palms, enveloping the Crystal. Sparks ignited around the Crystal as it red to life. Shen Yuan''s gaze focused as he carefully guided his Alchemy me inside the Crystal. It sizzled as soon as it came in contact with the Pure Heart me. He slowed down the pace and let both the mes interact with each other. As the mes became less reactive to each other, he began pushing his Alchemy Fire toward the Crystal again. SHZZZZ Sparks lit up as the Alchemy Fire entered inside the Crystal. A drop of sweat slid down Shen Yuan''s cheek as he controlled his Alchemy Fire precisely. Slowly¡­ it revolved inside the Crystal before slowly retreating, taking a wisp of me Essence from the crystal. He focused intently as the Alchemy me slowly retrieved the me Essence. His eyes lit up as he saw the Essence dancing on the palm of his hand. Exhaling a sigh, he absorbed the wisp of me Essence in his body, letting it flow through his meridians before reaching his Main Dantian. Shen Yuan carefully guided it toward the core of his Alchemy me before letting it collide with it. BOOM!! An explosion happened inside his Dantian as the wisp of me Essence merged with the Alchemy me. He carefully felt it and realized his Alchemy me was beginning its transformation. He opened his eyes and looked down at the Pure me Heart Crystal. "Well, now that my Alchemy Fire has the aura of this Pure me Heart Crystal, absorbing it will be easy." He smiled before beginning the refinement again. He directly poured his Alchemy Fire inside the Crystal and began absorbing the Pure me Heart Fire Essence inrge quantities. ¡­ [Ding!] [Congrattions, host, for upgrading your Alchemy mes to High-Grade Earthly mes¡ªPure Heart me.] Shen Yuan exhaled a long breath before observing the Pure Heart me in his Dantian. "Good, this will help me make higher-tier pills." He softly said before shifting his focus back to the technique. "Now, I should first master the first Tier of the Technique. It can make up to Spirit Tier Pills; I need to master those recipes as well." Looking inside his Sea of Consciousness, he found the technique. Shen Yuan took a deep breath, calming his mind as he prepared to dive into the intricacies of the Lotus Spark technique, the foundational level of the Crimson Lotus me Art. His focus sharpened, and the overflowing Qi in the Dual Cultivation Chamber seemed to resonate with his intent. Chapter 289 Improvements The Lotus Spark technique was deceptively simple in its exnation but incredibly profound in practice. It demanded absolute control over the me''s purity and stability, requiring the practitioner to harmonize the me with the Essence of the ingredients being refined. Shen Yuan sat cross-legged, his hands resting on his knees as he summoned the newly upgraded Pure Heart me. The brilliant golden me emerged on his palms, its intense heat tempered by his own will. He let the me flicker gently, sensing its energy and rhythm as he synchronized it with his breathing. "Focus," Shen Yuan muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. The first step of the technique required him to channel his spiritual sense into the me, deepening his connection to it. As his consciousness merged with the me, he could feel its every flicker and flow. It was as though the me had be an extension of his very soul. Hours passed as Shen Yuan meticulously practiced, adjusting the me''s intensity and flow until it reached an almost ethereal stability. The Pure Heart me no longer felt like an external tool; it pulsed in perfect harmony with his Qi. Suddenly, a soft hum resonated through the chamber as the me on his palm took the shape of a delicate lotus. The petals shimmered with golden light, exuding an aura of purity and stability that filled the room. "Sess," Shen Yuan said softly, a faint smile curling his lips. He dispersed the me with a flick of his wrist and opened his eyes, which glimmered with contentment. [Good work, Yuan''er!] Yue Lan''s cheerful voice rang in his mind. [You''ve mastered the first level of the Crimson Lotus me Art faster than I expected. I''m impressed!] "Oh, even you know to praise me? Thanks for it," Shen Yuan replied, his tone calm butced with satisfaction. "This technique is indeed profound. Now that I''ve mastered the first level, it''s time to explore the recipes." He reached out with his spiritual sense, diving back into the vast sea of knowledge within the Verdant me Phoenix Legacy. Countless recipes unfolded before him, each meticulously detailed with ingredient lists, preparation methods, and refinement techniques. He carefully selected a few recipes to begin his practice: Spirit Rejuvenation Pill: A pill designed to restore spiritual energy rapidly. Body Tempering Elixir: Enhances physical resilience and strengthens the skeletal structure. Essence Condensation Pill: Aids in consolidating Qi during breakthroughs. Verdant Vitality Pill: Boosts overall vitality and healing speed. "These recipes should be enough for now," Shen Yuan muttered as he reviewed the ingredient lists.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Each pill required dozens of herbs and rare materials, most of which he had already gathered from the treasury or bought during his travels. He stood and walked over to the alchemical materials he had prepared earlier. Carefully, he began sorting the herbs and ingredients ording to the recipes. The Spirit Rejuvenation Pill required Morning me Orchid, Moonlight Lotus, and Sun Lily Crystal Flowers as its primaryponents, along with a dozen supplementary herbs. Shen Yuan spent a bit of time meticulously preparing the materials, grinding, soaking, and purifying each ingredient. His hands moved with precision, guided by the knowledge imprinted in his mind. Once the materials were ready, he ced them beside the alchemical cauldron. Sitting before it, he summoned the Pure Heart me, which emerged on his palm with a steady golden glow. "Let''s begin," Shen Yuan said, his voice filled with a hint of excitement. He ignited the cauldron, carefully adjusting the me''s intensity using the Lotus Spark technique. One by one, he added the ingredients, each releasing a faint glow as they dissolved into the cauldron. His spiritual sense closely monitored the process, ensuring the essence of the ingredients blended without any issue. Time seemed to slow as Shen Yuan guided the me, his focus reaching extreme heights. The chamber filled with a faint herbal aroma, and a soft golden light emanated from the cauldron. After more than half an hour, the cauldron emitted a low hum, signaling thepletion of the refinement process. Shen Yuan opened the cauldron, and a brilliant golden glow greeted him. Insidey three pills, each radiating spiritual energy and marked with two distinct veins. "High-grade Spirit Rejuvenation Pills," Shen Yuan said, his voice filled with pride. "Not bad for the first attempt." [Not bad? These pills are exceptional for your first refinement using this technique! And this is the first batch of Spirit Tier pills that you have refined at that.] Yue Lan chimed in, her tone brimming with excitement. Shen Yuan smiled faintly as he carefully stored the pills. "Just wait and watch; I won''t let my Emperor Grade Talent go to waste." Without wasting time, he began preparing for the next recipe: the Bone Tempering Elixir. Over the next couple of days, Shen Yuan refined pill after pill, each attempt building on the knowledge and experience gained from the previous one. His mastery of the Lotus Spark technique deepened with every batch, and the quality of his pills continued to improve. By the end of the third day, Shen Yuan''s storage ring was filled with an impressive collection of high-grade Spirit Tier pills, each a testament to his growing prowess in alchemy. "Eh, that''s enough. I can give these pills to the sect to show my gratitude. Most of them are pills with 2-6 pill veins as well. They will be quite helpful for disciples," Shen Yuan said as he closed another vial of pills. [True, these should be some of the best pills they can even get in this area.] Shen Yuan stretched his arms while exhaling a long breath as he nodded his head. "Now I should learn the second level of the Crimson Lotus me Art to refine pills for myself." He closed his eyes and focused his mind on the next stage of the Crimson Lotus me Art: Blossoming Inferno. This level was far moreplex than Lotus Spark, created to intensify the me without letting it lose control, enabling the refinement of higher-grade ingredients and unlocking the potential to forgeplex pills. The intricacy of the technique demanded not only extreme focus but also strong spiritual fortitude, pushing the practitioner to their limits. "Blossoming Inferno¡­ let''s see how far I can push this," Shen Yuan muttered, an excited smile ying on his lips. As he meditated, the knowledge of the technique flowed into his consciousness, each line and principle imprinting itself clearly. The technique required Shen Yuan to harmonize the me with his spiritual sense at a much deeper level than before, making the me an extension of his will. The Pure Heart me appeared in his palms, its golden hue burning brighter as Shen Yuan began practicing the new techniques. The first step was learning to increase the me''s intensity while maintaining its purity. Shen Yuan adjusted the me''s heat in gradual increments, focusing on stabilizing its essence even as it grew more powerful. Sparks red as the me roared to life, its edges dancing wildly before he reined it back in. "Tsk, steady¡­ bnce the power¡­" Shen Yuan whispered, sweat forming on his brow as he poured his spiritual energy into the me. Minutes turned into an entire hour as he practiced relentlessly. Chapter 290 Pristine Origin Pill Each attempt brought him closer to mastering the technique, and after some more time, Shen Yuan felt the transformation in his control. The Pure Heart me now burned with a vivid crimson hue, its edges rippling with golden mes. It pulsed with an intensity he had never had control over, yet it obeyed his will perfectly. [Well done, Yuan''er!] Yue Lan''s voice rang in his mind. [You''ve reached a level where you can refine Earth Grade pills. Let''s see how you handle the pressure of that!] Shen Yuan smirked. "I have only used this level of intense fire while attacking, which I had nearly no control over. Now it will be fun to test this." He reached for the alchemical materials he had prepared for Earth Grade pills. He decided to start with something straightforward yet challenging enough to test his new skills. Recipe: Core Nourishment Pill Primary Ingredients: Starleaf Grass, Radiant Moon Herb, Azure me Orchid. Supplementary Ingredients: Nine different spiritual herbs to bnce the pill''sposition. Purpose: Enhances Qi in the Origin Core of a cultivator to solidify its foundation. Shen Yuan meticulously prepared the ingredients, grinding, soaking, and refining eachponent. The process took longer than Spirit Grade pills due to theplexity and potency of the materials. Once the materials were ready, he ced them beside the cauldron. Summoning the Pure Heart me, now stronger than ever due to Blossoming Inferno, Shen Yuan ignited the cauldron. The me roared to life, its crimson and golden hues illuminating the chamber. "Let''s begin," he said, his voice calm. Shen Yuan carefully added the ingredients one by one. Each herb released its spiritual essence as it dissolved into the cauldron, merging with the me''s intense energy. The challenge of Earth Grade pillsy in merging the potent energies of the ingredients, which could easily sh and destabilize the pill. Using both Lotus Spark and Blossoming Inferno, Shen Yuan intensified the me''s heat while maintaining its stability. His spiritual sense monitored the cauldron closely, ensuring the essences mixed harmoniously. The cauldron began to hum, a sign that the energies were reaching a perfect equilibrium. Shen Yuan''s focus deepened as he guided the me with precision, allowing it to envelop the mixture entirely. The room filled with a radiant glow as the pill began to take shape. The process was far more demanding than Spirit Grade pills, but Shen Yuan''s mastery of both Lotus Spark and Blossoming Inferno allowed him to maintain the required control. After nearly an hour, the cauldron emitted a low chime, signaling thepletion of the refinement. Shen Yuan opened the lid, and a brilliant golden light spilled out. Insidey two pills, each radiating spiritual energy and marked with three distinct veins. "Three-veined Earth Grade pills¡­ not bad for a first attempt," Shen Yuan said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He carefully stored the pills in a jade vial, sealing them to preserve their potency. [Man, when are you going to take a rest? Do you want to be an Alchemy God in a single day?] Yue Lan yfully teased. [You''ve exceeded my expectations yet again. These pills could fetch a fortune if sold¡ªor secure you powerful allies if gifted.] Shen Yuan chuckled. "I might do that, and gifting is also not out of the question as I can cook up a batch of these pills whenever I want. But first, I will give it to those who I care about." [Wan Ling and the other little girls? That is also good; they need to increase their cultivation base as well. Each pill will have dozens of times higher effect than what they will find in the market as well.] "And they won''t be harmful for them; after all, a pill with pill veins has no impurities." Shen Yuan smiled lightly as he looked at the other processed herbs. Encouraged by his sess, Shen Yuan continued refining other Earth Grade pills, each attempt honing his skills further for the pill he wanted to refer: Vital Essence Pill: Restores vitality and heals internal injuries.Heavenly Surge Elixir: Boosts cultivation speed temporarily.Iron Bone Pill: Enhances physical strength and durability. By the end of the second day, Shen Yuan''s storage ring was filled with an array of Earth Grade pills, ranging from four to six veins. The chamber was thick with the herbal aroma of refined pills, a testament to his relentless efforts at improving his skills. As Shen Yuan extinguished the Pure Heart me, he leaned back, his gaze thoughtful. "I think I have honed my skills enough to refine the Pristine Origin Pill for myself. That pill will be vital for my breakthrough." [True, your breakthrough speed will skyrocket with that pill; it''s one of the best for Origin Core Creation Realm cultivators after all.] "Yes, and I can help Wan Ling and Han Qingyu with these pills as well. I should make preparations for it now." Shen Yuan carefullyid out the ingredients for the Pristine Origin Pill, their auras filling the chamber with a serene presence. He nced at each item, ensuring their purity and quality matched the stringent requirements for this Earth Grade pill. The difficulty of this pill rivaled some of the low-grade Heaven Rank Pills. "This will be my most challenging refinement yet," Shen Yuan muttered, summoning the Pure Heart me into his palm. The crimson-golden me flickered steadily, its warmth filling the chamber. He adjusted his posture, took a deep breath, and activated Blossoming Inferno, allowing the me to grow in intensity while maintaining its stability with Lotus Spark.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Shen Yuan began by grinding the Ethereal Crystal Powder and the Cloudmist Herb into a fine mixture, their essence blending wlessly under his precise control. The powder emitted a faint shimmer, indicating it was ready. Next, he soaked the Silver Star Lotus Petals in Pure Spring Essence, their ethereal glow intensifying as they absorbed the liquid''s energy. The petals softened, their Essence radiating a calming aura. "Perfect," Shen Yuan murmured, carefully setting the prepared ingredients aside. He turned his attention to the cial Essence Pearl, the core ingredient of the pill. cing it into the alchemy cauldron, he ignited the Pure Heart me, gradually increasing its intensity to coax the Essence from the pearl. The cauldron hummed softly as the cial Essence Pearl began to melt, releasing its pure, icy energy. Shen Yuan added a drop of Nine-Heaven Jade Essence, amplifying the pearl''s purity and ensuring its Essence remained stable. With steady hands, he added the essence of Golden Azure Fruit, its vibrant Essence merging seamlessly with the pearl. The cauldron''s interior glowed faintly, a clear sign of the harmonious fusion of the ingredients. Shen Yuan''s focus deepened as he added the Moonlit Dewdrop, its yin energy bncing the powerful yang Essence within the mixture. He followed with the Silver Star Lotus Petals, gently stirring the cauldron to harmonize the energies. The hard party in maintaining the yin-yang equilibrium. Shen Yuan''s spiritual sense enveloped the cauldron, monitoring every little fluctuation that happened inside. He adjusted the me''s intensity using Blossoming Inferno, ensuring the ingredients merged wlessly. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he worked, the process demanding absolute precision. The room filled with a soothing herbal aroma, the Essence-rich atmosphere enhancing his concentration. Chapter 291 Breakthrough With the primary ingredients fully integrated, Shen Yuan sealed the mixture with Pure Spring Essence, its liquid glow enveloping the pill-in-progress. He reduced the me''s intensity, allowing the pill to crystallize slowly under controlled heat. The cauldron emitted a low, resonant chime, signaling the refinement''spletion. Shen Yuan extinguished the Pure Heart me and opened the cauldron, his eyes lighting up at the sight within. Three radiant pillsy inside, their surfaces shimmering with a soft, golden hue. Each pill was marked with seven distinct veins, proof of their extraordinary quality. "Seven-veined Pristine Origin Pills," Shen Yuan said, his voice filled with excitement. "This will make my breakthroughs not just smooth, but fucking easy." [Congrats, but will you break through now or continue to make more pills?] She curiously asked. "I still need more pills," Shen Yuan shook his head and continued, "These are not enough for what I intend to do."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Shen Yuan carefully stored the Seven-veined Pristine Origin Pills in a jade vial, sealing them to preserve their potent energies. The golden glow of the pills dimmed slightly as the vial''s protective runes activated, ensuring their Essence remained undisturbed. He exhaled softly, calming his mind. The refinement had taken quite a bit of time and was even taxing on him, but the result was rewarding. However, he wasn''t done yet. "I don''t know how good the potency of these pills will be. It''s better if I refine a few more, just in case," Shen Yuan muttered, his eyes gleaming with determination. Summoning the Pure Heart me once more, Shen Yuan began preparing for another round of refinement. The room filled again with the herbal aroma of Earth-grade ingredients, their spiritual energies mingling in the air. This time, he worked with even greater efficiency, his mastery of Crimson Lotus me Art evident in every motion. He seamlessly ground, soaked, and infused the ingredients, bncing their Essence as though it were second nature to him. As the cauldron hummed with life, Shen Yuan adjusted the me''s intensity with precision, ensuring the essence of the ingredients mixed perfectly. The room glowed with a faint, golden light as another batch of pills nearedpletion. After an hour, the cauldron emitted its familiar resonant chime. Shen Yuan opened the lid to reveal three more radiant pills, their surfaces shimmering with six distinct veins. "Six-veined Pristine Origin Pills this time," he murmured, nodding in approval. "Not as perfect as thest batch, but still good enough." Over the next few hours, Shen Yuan repeated the process, refining additional pills with extreme focus. By the time he put away his Pure Heart me, he had amassed a collection of pills ranging from five to seven veins. "These should be enough," Shen Yuan finally said, stretching his arms and exhaling deeply. The chamber was filled with a lingering warmth, a testament to the relentless efforts he made for refining pills. Shen Yuan sat down cross-legged in the center of the chamber, calming his mind and regting his breathing. The dense Qi in the chamber resonated with his cultivation base, aiding his recovery. He closed his eyes and entered a meditative state, his spiritual sense sweeping through his Dantian. The energy stored within was vast and stable, but the energies of the multiple Primordial Yin stored in his Dantian pulsed faintly, constantly reminding him about the immense power he had yet to harness fully. As his breathing steadied, Shen Yuan visualized the transformation he intended to achieve. He had already reached the 5th Level of the Origin Core Creation Realm, but he needed to refine it even further to break through to higher levels. "It''s about time," Shen Yuan said softly after a long moment, opening his eyes. His gaze was sharp and resolute. Shen Yuan retrieved a Seven-veined Pristine Origin Pill from the jade vial. The pill radiated an overwhelming spiritual energy that seemed to sing in harmony with the Qi in the chamber. He swallowed the pill without hesitation. The moment it entered his body, a surge of pure Essence erupted within him, coursing through his meridians and flooding his Dantian with overwhelming energy. Shen Yuan quickly controlled the Essence and directed it, guiding it toward his Dantian''s core. The energy began to condense, reshaping the very foundation of his cultivation base. The process was smooth at first, the energy from the pill perfectly bnced. However, as the energies of both the pill and the Primordial Yin intermixed in his Dantian, they amplified each other, making it hard for him to control either one of them. "Damn it!" Shen Yuan muttered, his brows furrowing as he struggled to control the explosive energies within. The Pristine Origin Pill''s energy and the potent Primordial Yin Energy surged against each other, creating a storm of chaotic Essence. Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, summoning every ounce of his willpower to stabilize the surging energies within him. He activated his Primal Harmony Physique, channeling its bncing principles into his spiritual sense to refine the energies into perfect harmony. The surging energies gradually subsided as the two energies began to merge, forming an immensely potent Essence that surpassed his expectations. His Dantian expanded and transformed, its core shining with a radiant glow that resembled a miniature sun. The energy surged outward, shattering the bottleneck of the 6th Level with ease. Shen Yuan didn''t stop there, allowing thebined energies to push him through the 7th Level and directly into the 8th Level of the Origin Core Creation Realm. As the breakthrough came to a stop, his Dantian stabilized into a new, refined state. The pure Essence within it swirled with a harmonious blend of power, far denser and more potent than before. Shen Yuan opened his eyes, his gaze filled with excitement. The chamber felt silent as his overwhelming Qi flowed freely from his body. [You actually broke through to the 8th Level in one go!] Yue Lan''s voice rang in his mind, with a hint of astonishment in it. [I knew you were bold, but this... even I didn''t expect it!] Shen Yuan chuckled softly, standing up and stretching. "The energy from the pill and the Primordial Yin was more potent than I anticipated. I couldn''t let it go to waste." [You''re really something else, Yuan''er. This reminded me of the first time you cultivated with Qi. You nearly entered Qi deviation that time, haha.] He felt his eyebrow twitching, hearing her words. "Don''t remind me about that time. I was quite reckless. I didn''t even have physiques like Purity or Chaotic Vessel to handle the bulk of the load." [But you still did it nheless. But this is good. You are nearing the peak of the Origin Core Creation Realm. Only a single more refinement is left before your core reaches perfection.] Shen Yuan nodded his head. "True, I doubt anyone in this region has refined their cores up to nine times." [But you have, and that''s an achievement not many can im to.] "Anyways, now I need to practice cksmithing. My body needs some time to adapt to the new realm as well. I can''t break through continuously," he said before moving his gaze toward the center of the room. Shen Yuan took a deep breath, calming his mind with the abundant energies of the chamber as he adjusted to his newly refined cultivation base. Chapter 292 Blacksmithing Shen Yuan stood and began organizing the alchemical materials and equipment scattered around the chamber. With practiced efficiency, he carefully stored the remaining herbs, tools, and the Cauldron in his spatial ring. The chamber returned to its pristine state, ready for his next part of training. "Alchemy is done for now. It''s time to turn my focus to cksmithing," Shen Yuan muttered to himself, his gaze focusing on the task ahead. "I need to bring the forge here though," he rubbed his chin while thinking. ¡­ Exiting the Dual Cultivation Chamber, Shen Yuan stepped into the serene surroundings of his courtyard.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Ahh~ the fresh air of the outside world is still the best." He stretched his arms while looking at the peaceful courtyard. The cherry blossom tree swayed gently in the breeze, its petals falling like a soft rain. The tranquil sight brought a faint smile to his lips, but he didn''t linger. He turned around and moved towards the side building of his mansion, where he had created his personal forge. Stepping inside, he looked at all the tools neatly arranged and the forge in the center. "Let''s take everything. I will just do cksmithing inside the Dual Cultivation Chambers from now on." He nodded his head and scooped in everything from the room into his spatial ring. "Perfect. Let''s head back," Shen Yuan said, his voice calm. The portal appeared before him as he stepped inside and entered the Dual Cultivation Chamber. ¡­ Inside the chamber, Shen Yuan carefully ced the forge at the center of the room. It took the majority of the space in the chamber. Its imposing structure radiated a faint elemental energy, resonating with the chamber''s abundant Qi. "Lan''er, don''t you think the room is quite¡­ small?" Shen Yuan said with a wry smile. SNAP! A snap was heard as the room began rapidly expanding, reaching five times its initial size. Shen Yuan''s eyes lit up. "Thanks, you''re the best." [Hehe, no need for ttery.] Yue Lan seemed quite pleased with herself. Shen Yuan looked around for a while before summoning his cksmithing tools, including hammers and tongs forged from rare metals. Next, he arranged a selection of materials from his spatial ring. Skyme Embers, Starfire Ore, and Eternal Night Iron were among the resources he had chosen for his practice. "This should be sufficient to create a few Low Earth Grade weapons," Shen Yuan mused, inspecting the materials with a sharp gaze. Summoning the Pure Heart me, Shen Yuan threw in some Magma Ore inside the forge and ignited it. The mes roared to life, their crimson and golden hues casting a vibrant glow across the chamber. He adjusted the me''s intensity using the Blossoming Inferno technique, ensuring it remained stable and controlled. The first material he worked with was Starfire Ore, a versatile and durable metal ideal for forging Earth Grade weapons. He ced a chunk of the ore into the forge, allowing the Pure Heart me and the burning Magma Ore to melt it into a molten state. With precise timing, Shen Yuan removed the molten metal and began hammering it on the anvil. Each strike was imbued with his Qi, shaping the metal while enhancing its structural integrity. The rhythmic sound of hammering echoed through the chamber as Shen Yuan worked tirelessly. His movements were fluid and precise, a pure result of his absurd cksmithing talent. As he hammered, he infused the metal with elemental energy, using his Fire Intent properties to imbue it with fire-based attributes. The first weapon Shen Yuan forged was a me Saber, its de radiating a faint crimson aura. The weapon''s edge shimmered with heat, a clear sign of its fire-infused properties. Next, he crafted a Mid Earth Grade Starshield, a round shield imbued with the resilience of Eternal Night Iron. Its surface gleamed with a faint, radiant glow, designed to withstand powerful attacks. Finally, he created a High Earth Grade Skyme Spear, its shaft forged from Fire Starstones and its tip glowing with concentrated mes. The weapon exuded a fierce energy, perfect for prating defenses. By the time Shen Yuan finished, several Low Earth Grade weaponsy before him, each a masterpiece in its own right. He carefully inspected each weapon, his brows furrowing in dissatisfaction at his refinement level. "I need to improve my cultivation base first," he said lightly. [Hmm? You still aren''t satisfied with them? You made the best use of materials, and your own Pure Heart me is stopping you from progressing as fast in cksmithing as you were progressing in alchemy.] Shen Yuan lowered his head in contemtion as he heard her words. "That is true, both the Pure Heart me and the Crimson Lotus me Art are designed for alchemy. I don''t have a good cksmithing technique for it yet." [True, the only thing you have is the Basic cksmithing Manual that you bought from me, and it can only help you up to Earth Grade or Tier 3 weapons or equipment.] Shen Yuan''s frown deepened as he listened to her words. "I have a feeling I can get all the techniques that I need from the Pagoda Bearing Monarch''s Treasury, but I still haven''t been able to figure out how to open it." [Why don''t you explore the outside world more? Maybe you can chance upon a technique?] Shen Yuan thought over what she said. "No, I will increase my cultivation base first. I have some ns for what to do." He said before cing all the cksmithing materials back in his storage ring. He took out alchemy equipment again. [Huh? I thought you were going to break through? Why are you taking out alchemy equipment?] Shen Yuan''s frown loosened as his lips curled up into a faint smile. "Just wait and watch." He began preparing the materials for Pristine Origin Pills again, neatly preparing them in batches. The smell of smelting ores left the chamber as it once again filled with the familiar, soothing aroma of rare herbs and potent ingredients. "This time, I''ll refine the Pristine Origin Pills to their absolute peak," Shen Yuan muttered to himself, summoning the Pure Heart me. Its crimson-golden hue illuminated the chamber, dancing with intensity. The first batch began as smoothly as the previous ones. Shen Yuan worked with even greater focus, each motion imbued with his absolute concentration. His mastery of Blossoming Inferno allowed him to perfectly bnce the heat, coaxing the ingredients to blend harmoniously. The cauldron emitted a faint hum as the first batchpleted, revealing three pills marked with seven and eight veins. Shen Yuan nodded calmly, carefully storing them in a jade vial. "I need to do better," he murmured, his eyes gleaming with determination. He repeated the process, refining batch after batch. Each time, he adjusted his technique, fine-tuning every little detail. He repeated the process while improving with each refinement, batch after batch of Pristine Origin Pills. As he immersed himself in the alchemical process, a subtle yet extreme change began to take root within him. His bloodline shook once. His senses sharpened, the chamber''s aura seemingly more vibrant. The faint aura of herbs exuded details he''d never noticed before¡ªthe tiny fractures on the surface of a dried petal, the swirl of energy contained within a single dew drop. Chapter 293 Exiting Seclusion Each herb, each fragment of material, seemed to whisper its essence to him. "What''s happening¡­" Shen Yuan murmured, without pausing his refinement. His gaze fell on a piece of Star Blossom Leaf. He could see it now¡ªits flow of Qi, its alignment with fire-based energies, and even the faint trace of impurities clinging to its edges. It was as if the essence of the world had revealed itself to him. [Yuan''er, are you¡­?] Yue Lan''s voice was tinged with astonishment. Shen Yuan''s movements were fluid, his focus unshaken even as he murmured, "What is this feeling¡­" [This¡­ This is Alchemy Intent. And it''s constantly improving at an absurd rate.] Yue Lan said in an astonished voice as even she had not expected this. [But this isn''t the usual progression. You''re¡­ skipping ahead.] Shen Yuan''s hands didn''t falter. The Pure Heart me roared to life under his control, coaxing the herbs into releasing their full potential. As the essence of the ingredients fused within the cauldron, his spiritual sense extended, and he felt the energy''s rhythm, its pulse, its flow. It was like watching an intricate dance that only he could guide. The first batchpleted with a deep hum from the cauldron. Shen Yuan opened the lid, revealing three pills, each with eight distinct veins glowing brightly. "Not enough," he said softly, his gaze remained sharp. "I need to do better." He prepared another batch, but this time, the sensation intensified. As he refined the herbs, it was as though their very existence aligned with his own understanding. His connection with the Pure Heart me deepened, and he could feel its eagerness to assist, almost as though it were alive. As Shen Yuan added the final ingredients of the second batch, a sudden surge coursed through him. His bloodline stirred, resonating with the limitless hunger in him to improve. He could feel his spiritual sense expanding, not just perceiving the ingredients but understanding their very essence on a fundamental level. "Alchemy Intent¡­" Shen Yuan whispered, his voice filled with understanding. "It''s like the herbs themselves are guiding me."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The cauldron began to glow brighter than before, its hum more resonant. The Pure Heart me flickered with an otherworldly light, as if responding to his heightened understanding. [This is the third level of Alchemy Intent, Yuan''er!] Yue Lan''s voice rang out, both amazed and delighted. [You''re no longer just manipting the materials; you''remunicating with them, understanding their essence and harmonizing with their natural flow.] Shen Yuan nodded slightly, his expression excited as well. "So, this is what it feels like¡­ to truly see the world through the eyes of a true alchemist." The batchpleted with a wondrous chime, and when Shen Yuan opened the cauldron, three pillsy within. Each one gleamed with a purity and brilliance he had never seen before¡ªnine distinct veins marked their surfaces, radiating an almost divine aura. "Nine-veined Pristine Origin Pills," Shen Yuan said, his voice low but brimming with satisfaction. [That''s really good, Yuan''er, but you should not only limit yourself to this. There are higher levels of pill purity as well. Just above pill veins are Pill Clouds. But that''s too far away from you for now.] Shen Yuan nodded his head. "I only managed to refine these pills due to the low grade of pill and the high tier of my technique. I still need to master a lot of things." Yue Lan got silent hearing him speak. ''Only if it were that simple. The top alchemists will be refining low-level pills to make Pill Clouds like crazy.'' Yet she didn''t say anything to him as she knew Shen Yuan was different from others by the sole virtue of his Bloodline. He couldn''t be measured through normal means. Shen Yuan didn''t stop there. His newfound mastery of Alchemy Intent drove him crazy to refine more batches, eachparable to thest. The herbs seemed to yield to his will effortlessly, their impurities dissolving under his guidance to smoke, their essences blending seamlessly. With every pill he refined, hisprehension of Alchemy Intent deepened. The Pure Heart me, now melding perfectly with his spiritual sense, danced with precision, its crimson-golden hues brighter and more vibrant. As hepleted his fourth batch of nine-veined pills, Shen Yuan leaned back slightly, exhaling a long breath. The chamber was filled with a warm, golden glow, the air thick with the scent of refinement and spiritual energy. [Yuan''er, do you realize what you''ve done?] Yue Lan''s voice was filled with pride. [This level of mastery is something only legendary alchemists achieve, and they spend lifetimes doing so. You''ve nearly reached the pinnacle of Earth-grade alchemy.] Shen Yuan smiled faintly, storing the pills carefully in a reinforced jade vial. "It''s not just my talent, Lan''er. It''s everything¡ªthe Crimson Lotus me Art, the Pure Heart me, my Devouring Fiend Celestial Bloodline, the Verdant me Phoenix Legacy¡­ and your guidance." [Heh, ttery will get you everywhere,] Yue Lan teased. [But you''ve earned this, Yuan''er. So, what now?] "I will use the pills to break through," he softly said. [So soon?] "En. I feel my body is ready for further refinement," he said before standing up and looking around. [Hmm? What happened?] She curiously asked. "I have a feeling I should go outside for my breakthrough, or else something unfortunate might happen," he murmured, rubbing his chin. [Huh? I''m sure no ce is as safe as the Dual Cultivation Chamber in the Myriad Worlds.] Shen Yuan''s eyes twitched as he heard her boasting. "Stop ttering yourself. Anyway, I will see what this feeling is when I''m outside." He shook his head before a portal appeared in front of him, and he stepped inside to leave the Dual Cultivation Chamber. ¡­ Stepping out of the chamber, Shen Yuan took a deep breath, his gaze falling on the serene courtyard. The cherry blossom tree stood majestically, its branches swaying gently in the breeze, shedding soft pink petals that danced in the air. The tranquil sight brought a faint smile to his lips, and he walked toward the tree with slow steps. Beneath its shade, he sat cross-legged on a smooth stone bench, leaning back slightly. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a simple yet elegant gourd of wine. Uncorking it with ease, he brought it to his lips and took a long swig. The cool liquid slid down his throat, leaving a subtle warmth that spread through his body, washing away the fatigue from his long seclusion. "Ah, now that hits the spot," Shen Yuan murmured, exhaling contentedly as the tension in his muscles melted away. He tilted his head back, gazing at the blossoms overhead. [Drinking under a cherry blossom tree after achieving such an extraordinary feat. How poetic,] Yue Lan teased, her voice carrying a yful tone. [What''s next? Writing a poem?] Shen Yuan chuckled softly. "Even I''m allowed to enjoy the simple pleasures, Lan''er. Besides, this wineplements the atmosphere. You should try it sometime." [Hmm, maybe I will someday. But currently, it takes too much energy for me to manifest my body. But don''t think you''ll be able to justze around at that time¡ªI''ll keep an eye on you.] Chapter 294 Breakthrough Beginning "I''d expect nothing less." Shen Yuan swirled the gourdzily before taking another sip. The taste lingered on his tongue, and for a moment, he let himself rxpletely. [You really worked yourself hard this time, didn''t you?] Yue Lan''s tone softened, a hint of concern slipping through. [Alchemy, cksmithing, breakthroughs¡­ it''s a lot, even for someone like you.] "It''s necessary," Shen Yuan said, his voice calm but firm. "There''s no room forcency on the path that I''ve decided to walk on. It demands at least this level of effort. And it''s not just about me. There are people I care about, people I need to protect." Yue Lan was silent for a moment, her words filled with warmth as she said, [I know. That''s what makes you different, Yuan''er. You don''t just strive for yourself. But don''t forget, even the strongest need moments of rest.] Shen Yuan nodded, his gazezily resting on his quiet courtyard. "That''s what this moment is for." He leaned back further, letting the petals drift down around him. "Sometimes, even I need to just breathe and let the world slow down." [Good. But from the looks of it, you won''t be sitting still for long. What have you nned next?] Shen Yuan smirked faintly. "I won''t deny that. I''ll use the pills to break through, right here. I have a lingering suspicion something will happen." [Then why are you still here? Shouldn''t you look for a ce more secluded?] A faint smirk yed on his lips as he swirled the wine in the gourd. "Why should I hide? There is no reason for me to do so. I need a little pressure to push myself hard as well." [Hmm¡­ this is a good chance for you to push yourself further. Let''s see how big of amotion you can make.] Shen Yuan swirled the wine in his gourd onest time before setting it aside lightly. He said before looking at the sky, settling beneath the meditation mat ced below the cherry tree. Closing his eyes, he began to meditate. ... "It''s about time." He opened his eyes while saying. Looking inside his storage ring, he took out a vial of Nine Veins Pristine Origin Pills. His face took on a contemtive look as he stared at the vial. ''Looks like I will have to do that.'' Shen Yuan lightly thought before taking out three pills from inside the vial. [Huh? What are you doing?] Yue Lan''s surprised voice rang inside his mind. Shen Yuan ced the vial back inside the storage ring before answering Yue Lan, "Sometimes¡­ you need to do things crazy to the extreme that even the heavens will turn angry at you." [Huh? Wha¡ª] Before her words could even finish, Shen Yuan raised his hand and devoured all three pills. [WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?] Yue Lan''s shocked voice reverberated in his mind.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om But he was in no condition to reply. The moment Shen Yuan swallowed the three Nine Veins Pristine Origin Pills, an overwhelming surge of energy exploded within his body. It was as if a torrent of rivers, previously dammed, had suddenly been unleashed all at once. His meridians expanded wildly, struggling to amodate the sheer intensity of the Qi now coursing through them. [Shen Yuan! Are you insane? That amount of energy could kill you! Even your body can''t handle this!] Yue Lan''s voice was filled with exasperation, but Shen Yuan didn''t stop for even a second. His eyes were tightly shut, and his hands formed intricate seals as he guided the rampaging energy through his meridians and Dantians. His entire body glowed faintly, pulsing with the power of the pills as he struggled to maintain control. "Just¡­ a bit more," he muttered through gritted teeth, sweat dripping down his face. The first Dantian filled rapidly, its capacity pushed to the brink, before spilling over into the second and third. The energy surged like a tidal wave, filling all his Dantians to their limits in mere moments. The sheer purity of the energy forced his cultivation base upward with astonishing speed. BOOM! An explosive shockwave rippled through the courtyard as Shen Yuan''s cultivation advanced in an instant, shattering through the bottleneck of the Ninth Level of the Core Formation Realm. [You broke through?! In a single moment?!] Yue Lan''s tone was incredulous, but Shen Yuan wasn''t done. Instead of pushing further to the next major realm, he redirected the immense energy toward his core, beginning an unprecedented tenth refinement. "Nowes the hard part," he murmured, his voice barely audible. The Qi within his Dantianpressed violently as he attempted to force it into a state of perfection. The strain on his body was immediate and immense. His meridians felt as though they were being stretched to their breaking point, and his core vibrated dangerously under the immense pressure. [Stop! This is impossible! No one has ever achieved a tenth refinement! You''re defying the heavens themselves!] Shen Yuan smirked faintly, even as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. "Then let the heavens try and stop me." As if answering his challenge, the skies above the sect darkened abruptly. Thick, ominous clouds rolled in, spiraling overhead with unnatural speed. The scent of ozone filled the air, and arcs of lightning flickered ominously within the roiling storm. The oppressive aura of a Heavenly Tribtion descended like a mountain, suffocating everyone within its radius. The disciples and elders across the sect froze in ce, their gazes snapping toward the source of the phenomenon. "A Heavenly Tribtion? Here? Who could have triggered this?!" a disciple eximed, her voice trembling. "Is one of the seniors breaking through to the Mortal Tribtion Realm?" another thought with excitement. "It''sing from Shen Yuan''s courtyard!" another shouted, panic creeping into their tone. "Isn''t he that male disciple? What is he doing to cause something like this?!" Elders quickly assembled at the Inner Sect''s observation tform, their expressions grave as they looked toward the dark clouds forming above the Outer Courtyard. "Is he already breaking through to the Mortal Tribtion Realm?" one elder asked, his voice filled with disbelief. "Madness!" another elder spat. "It is far too early for him to rush like this. He might have eaten some forbidden pills to boost his cultivation base! He''ll be annihted!" ... A shadow flickered. Before anyone could react, a sharp SWIISH tore through the air as two figures moved, cutting through the wind like a de. "Yuan''er!!" "Yuan''er!!" Huo Rong and Bing Rong''s worried voices echoed from outside his courtyard as they saw the dark clouds forming above the skies. "What is he doing over there?!" Huo Rong worriedly said, looking at the darkened sky. Bing Rong''s eyes filled with worry as she silently stared at the mansion gate. Huo Rong paced around outside the mansion for a bit before moving toward the gate. "That''s it. I''m going inside. I need to know what is happening in there." Bing Rong''s eyes widened as she hurriedly caught her hand. "Wait! You will be interrupting his breakthrough if you head inside right now, and even the tribtion cloud might consider you as an aplice of him and increase the difficulty ording to your cultivation base." Chapter 295 Calling Shen Yuxin Huo Rong bit her lips as her worried gaze didn''t move away from the mansion gates. "Then what should we do? We can''t just sit here and wait to see what happens to him!" Bing Rong took a deep breath. "Let''s tell Master about this. She must learn about this." ...n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om In a secluded space far from the Deste Continent, two stunning women sat beside a serene bamboo pond. The tranquil atmosphere was broken only by the asional ripple in the water as koi fish swamzily beneath the surface. "Hehe, you were so mischievous back in the day," said the snow-haired beauty with a melodiousugh, her voice as sweet as bell chimes. Her lean figure was wrapped in elegant white robes embroidered with delicate snowke patterns, her hourss frame exuding an elegant grace that contrasted with Shen Yuxin''s curvaceous allure. Shen Yuxin chuckled, brushing a stray strand of her white hair behind her ear. "And you weren''t? Don''t think I''ve forgotten all those schemes you roped me into, Yue Xian. You nearly got us thrown out of the sect more than once." "Oh, please," Yue Xian replied, rolling her icy-blue eyes yfully. "If anything, I was the one keeping you from getting caught. You''re the one who couldn''t keep a straight face to save your life." Shen Yuxin''s lips curled into a smirk. "And yet, here we are, both alive, thriving, and as beautiful as ever." Yue Xian arched a delicate brow. "Thriving, yes. But you, Yuxin, have certainly been full of surprisestely. First, adopting a son, and now I hear from you that he is also your Dao Companion. What''s so special about this boy, anyway?" Before Shen Yuxin could answer, a faint ring sounded in her mind. Her expression shifted immediately, anticipation recing her earlier lightheartedness. She looked at the corner of her eye, where a faint name was shimmering. She exhaled a disappointed sigh as she was expecting someone else to message her. She opened the screen, activating the Harem Connect panel. "Bing Rong?" she said, her voice filled with doubt. A projection of Bing Rong''s face appeared, her expression tense. "Master! It''s Yuan''er! He''s¡ªhe''s undergoing a tribtion. The skies are darkening, and the energy feels... unnatural. Huo Rong and I don''t know what to do. It''s unlike anything we''ve ever felt before. Even our tribtions were far different than this." "It seems more like¡­ punishment rather than a trial." Shen Yuxin shot to her feet, her earlierposurepletely shattered. "A tribtion?! Why didn''t you inform me sooner?!" "I''m sorry, Master," Bing Rong replied, her voice trembling. "But we also just found out and informed you as soon as we could." The connection ended, leaving Shen Yuxin staring at the faintly glowing screen in front of her. "Yuxin," Yue Xian said, rising gracefully from her seat. "What''s going on?" "It''s Yuan''er," Shen Yuxin said, her voiceced with worry. "He''s attempting something reckless. I need to go to him immediately." Yue Xian''s expression turned curious. "This Yuan''er¡­ he must be extraordinary for you to choose him and show such concern. I''ming with you. I want to see what makes him so special." "There''s no time for debate," Shen Yuxin said, already forming intricate seals with her hands. "Come if you wish, but I won''t wait." Yue Xian smiled faintly, her movements as fluid as water as she mirrored Shen Yuxin''s actions. "As if I''d let you leave me behind." The air around them shimmered as the fabric of space warped and fractured. With a sharp crack, the two women stepped through the rift, their figures disappearing into the void. ... Back at Shen Yuan''s courtyard, the oppressive tribtion clouds churned, their intensity growing by the second. Bolts of lightning crackled ominously, illuminating the anxious faces of Huo Rong and Bing Rong, who stood just outside the mansion gates. Suddenly, the fabric of space above them tore apart, and two radiant figures emerged, their overwhelming presence instantly leaving everyone breathless. But they soon reigned back their cultivation base as the others exhaled in relief before curiously looking at the two neers. "Master!" Huo Rong eximed, relief washing over her as she recognized Shen Yuxin. Her gaze flickered to Yue Xian, her eyes widening slightly in surprise. "And¡­ an honored guest?" Shen Yuxinnded gracefully, her expression grim as she approached the mansion. "What is the situation?" Bing Rong quickly stepped forward. "We don''t know. We were doing our work and all of a sudden a tribtion cloud began forming on top of Shen Yuan''s mansion." Just then, Yue Lan''s urgent voice echoed in the minds of the three of them. [He is attempting to refine his core for the tenth time in the Origin Core Creation Realm. This has not been done even in the higher realms.] All three of the women''s eyes widened in shock as they heard what Yue Lan said. Shen Yuxin''s worry deepened, her gaze locked on the mansion as a deafening crack of thunder echoed through the skies. "Yuan''er¡­ what are you thinking?" [You all stay outside. He needs to take care of it himself. If you intervene, then it will only make the situation worse.] Yue Lan helplessly said. The three of them could do nothing but stare at the mansion in worry. Yue Xian curiously looked at the courtyard before looking at Shen Yuxin as she sent a message through her divine sense. ''Do you know what is happening inside? Are you sure it''s Shen Yuan and not someone else?'' Shen Yuxin nodded her head, her gaze still locked on the mansion ahead. ''He is attempting to refine his core for the 10th time. And that attracted the tribtion.'' Yue Xian raised an eyebrow. ''There has been no shortage of fools who try to refine their cores 10 times, but none of them could attract the heavenly tribtion.'' ''Because none of them reached close to aplishing that impossible feat.'' Even though her face was filled with worry, she could not hide the faint hint of pride lingering on her face. Yue Xian got silent as she looked inside the mansion. Sect Leader Mei Hua also sent a message to Shen Yuxin, asking about the situation. She brushed her off by saying everything was under control and that there was no need to worry. Mei Hua could do nothing but sit back down beside herke as her curious gazended on Shen Yuan''s courtyard from an unknown distance away. ... Back inside Shen Yuan''s mansion, the oppressive atmosphere grew heavier as the energy within him churned violently. His core pulsed with intensity, nearing the brink of its transformation. Shen Yuan''s eyes remained tightly shut, his expression calm despite the raging storm inside and out. Above, the tribtion clouds churned like a tempest. The first bolt of lightning gathered, its raw power illuminating the darkened sky. With a deafening CRACK, the thunderbolt descended, its target unmistakably Shen Yuan. Everyone worriedly looked at him, waiting for him to dodge the attack or move away from the impact, but he did none of it as he stayed still in his position. The golden lightning struck his body directly, causing a blinding sh that illuminated the entire courtyard. Chapter 296 Tyrants Wrath Huo Rong, Bing Rong, and Shen Yuxin stood outside the mansion with tense bodies, their instincts screaming at them to intervene, but Yue Lan''s stern voice echoed in their minds. [Do not interfere! This will only make it worse!] Inside the mansion, Shen Yuan''s body trembled under the immense force of the lightning. The sheer power should have incinerated him, but instead, his bloodline stirred, glowing brilliantly, absorbing the energy into his meridians and dantian. All of his physiques aided him in achieving his absurd dream as the Primal Harmony Physique focused on bncing all the energies within his body, no matter whether they were tribtion energy, his own energy, or even the energy from the Primordial Yin. The False Chaos Physique broke down the energies to make it possible for him to absorb them, while the Purity Physique purified the essence and let the Chaotic Vessel Physique funnel it toward his core. His veins pulsed with golden light, and the energy of the tribtion merged seamlessly with the Qi already raging within him. "Haha, what doesn''t kill me makes me stronger." Shen Yuan muttered with a crazyugh. The energy within him reached a critical point, and his core trembled violently. With onest push, Shen Yuanpressed the Qi even further, forcing his core to condense into a perfect state. The golden energy from the tribtion served as a catalyst, letting his physiques bind the Qi into a stable, wless formation.N?v(el)B\\jnn BOOM! An explosive shockwave erupted from Shen Yuan''s body, shaking the entire courtyard. The oppressive weight of the tribtion lifted momentarily as his corepleted its tenth refinement. Shen Yuan''s aura surged dramatically, breaking through the boundaries of the Origin Core Creation Realm and ascending to an unparalleled level. The tribtion clouds above roared in response, angered by his defiance. The second bolt of lightning began forming, its power far greater than the first. [Ding!] [Congrattions, Host, for achieving the impossible.] [To help the Host continue doing the impossible as well as to create miracles, the system has decided to award you with a new physique.] Shen Yuan didn''t bother with the system message as he continued consolidating his new cultivation base. ... Outside, Shen Yuxin and the others watched in awe and disbelief. Yue Xian couldn''t contain her astonishment. "He actually did it¡­ He refined his core for the tenth time." Shen Yuxin''s pride shone through her worry. "That''s my Yuan''er." Bing Rong and Huo Rong''s eyes shone brightly as they saw him safe and even advancing in his cultivation base. ... The tribtion clouds above Shen Yuan''s mansion churned violently, their intensity growing with each passing moment. The golden lightning crackled ominously, forming arcs of raw, destructive power. Everyone watching from the sect felt an oppressive weight in the air, their hearts racing as they witnessed a spectacle they had missed dearly. The second bolt of lightning struck, its power far greater than the first. Shen Yuan stood his ground, his body glowing with golden light as his physiques worked in harmony to absorb and refine the energy. His Primal Harmony Physique bnced the energies coursing through him, while the False Chaos Physique broke them down into manageable streams. The Purity Physique filtered the essence, and the Chaotic Vessel Physique directed it into his core. The lightning merged seamlessly with his Qi, further tempering his body and refining his core. Shen Yuan exhaled slowly, his eyes glowing faintly. "Two down¡­ seven to go. About time I fight back." The third bolt of tribtion lightning descended like a golden spear of wrath, its intensity shaking the ground beneath Shen Yuan''s feet. He raised Tyrant''s Wrath, the spear humming as it absorbed traces of tribtion energy still lingering on Shen Yuan''s body from the previous bolts. Summoning his Second Level Spear Intent, Shen Yuan infused the spear with his Thunder Intent, creating arcs of electricity that danced along its shaft. As the lightning roared toward him, Shen Yuan thrust Tyrant''s Wrath forward, channeling the gathered energy into a spiraling vortex of thunder and Qi. The collision created an ear-splitting CRACK, the force sending ripples through the air. The spear deflected a significant portion of the bolt, redirecting its destructive power into the sky, but the residual energyshed out like a whip, striking his left arm. Shen Yuan winced as the searing pain shot through his body, his arm trembling slightly from the shock. His robes were torn, and faint burns marked his skin. "Looks like the old heavens are serious this time," he muttered, his grip tightening on Tyrant''s Wrath as his eyes glinted with excitement. The fourth bolt began forming swiftly, descending just as quickly, its power doubling that of the previous strike. The golden lightning split the air, roaring like a celestial dragon as it bore down on him. Shen Yuan smiled crazily, steadying his stance. His grip tightened on Tyrant''s Wrath, the spear humming with incredible power as the tribtion energy it had absorbed earlier resonated with his own Qi. ''Heaven''s Wrath Spear Art¡ªSecond Form: Tyrant''s Judgment!'' he thought to himself before the spear began gathering energy. This time, he infused Radiant Intent into the spear, creating a brilliant glow that enveloped the weapon. The Radiant Intent formed a defensive shield as he swung the spear upward to meet the bolt. The impact was catastrophic, sending a shockwave rippling outside of the courtyard. The Radiant Intent sessfully deflected the core of the lightning, but tendrils of energy snaked through the shield and struck Shen Yuan in the chest. The force of the strike sent him skidding backward, his feet digging trenches into the ground. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he steadied himself. His chest burned where the lightning had grazed him, and his breathing grew heavier. "Fucking hell, you sure are going for the kill, huh," he spat, wiping the blood away with the back of his hand. The fifth bolt was monstrous, radiating an oppressive force that seemed to crush the very air around it. The tribtion had grown impatient, its fury manifesting in a lightning strike so vast it seemed to blot out the sky. Shen Yuan''s instincts screamed at him, warning of the iing danger. He raised Tyrant''s Wrath once more, but the spear pulsed in warning, its limit nearing. Shen Yuan gritted his teeth, channeling all the remaining tribtion energy in the spear into a final, desperate counterattack. "Heaven''s Wrath Spear Art: Rebellion!!" He thrust the spear forward, unleashing a stream of concentrated thunder Qi. The stream collided with the lightning bolt, momentarily halting its descent. The momentary reprieve was shattered as the bolt surged through his defense, splitting into smaller arcs thatshed out at him. The impact was devastating, the force throwing Shen Yuan to the ground. Tyrant''s Wrath, overwhelmed by the tribtion energy it had absorbed, vibrated violently in his grip. Sensing the weapon''s strain, Shen Yuan swiftly stored it back into his body. His back hit the ground with a thud, his body wracked with pain as blood seeped from fresh wounds. His robes were tattered, and his right leg bore a deep burn where the lightning had struck. Shen Yuan struggled to rise, stabbing Crimson Devourer into the ground to steady himself. Breathing heavily, he muttered through gritted teeth, "Five down¡­ four to go. Time for your turn, Crimson Devourer." He gripped the sword tightly, its crimson glow intensifying as if answering his call. Chapter 297 Weapon Improvement Shen Yuan''s grip tightened on the Crimson Devourer, its crimson glow intensifying with each passing second, as though excited for facing the very heavens and the tribtion. A smile yed on his lips despite the pain coursing through his body. "Alright, buddy, let''s show the heavens what we''re made of," he muttered, his voice low yet resolute. With a single motion, he pushed off the ground, his body rocketing into the sky like a crimson streak of light. The oppressive thunderclouds churned violently above, the sixth bolt gathering its terrifying energy. The air crackled with raw power, and the onlookers below watched with bated breath. Just as Shen Yuan prepared himself, a sh of light caught his attention. His gaze snapped downward to see Shen Yuxin standing outside the courtyard, her expression tense. In a swift motion, she hurled a shimmering glob of light toward him, her voice ringing out with urgency, "Yuan''er, catch this!" Raising an eyebrow, Shen Yuan extended his hand, catching the orb mid-flight. The moment his fingers closed around it, he felt a dense, familiar energy pulsing from within. "What is this?" he muttered, his eyes narrowing as he briefly inspected it. ''MERGE'' A strange voice sounded in his mind, telling him to merge the ore. His eyes snapped open as he looked around him, only to not find anyone. His gazended back on the item as he inspected it closely. It was an old ore that had an unpolished, raw surface, but it exuded an unmistakable familiar aura. Before he could investigate further, the heavens roared with fury. The sixth bolt of thunder began descending, its size and ferocity being magnitudes above the previous strikes. The golden lightning crackled ominously, illuminating the entire sect. "Tch, no time for this," Shen Yuan gritted his teeth. Without hesitation, he smashed the ore against Crimson Devourer, the impact sending a shockwave rippling through the air. The sword vibrated violently, its crimson glow flickering as it tried to absorb the essence of the ore. Shen Yuan raised it high, channeling his Qi into the weapon. ''Heaven and Earth Severance: First Form¡ªMountain Cleaving!'' A crescent wave of crimson energy erupted from the sword, carving a path toward the descending lightning bolt. The two forces collided in a brilliant explosion, lighting up the sky with blinding radiance. For a moment, it seemed as though Shen Yuan''s attack would withstand the blow, but the heavenly thunder surged with such intensity that it overpowered the crimson wave. CRACK! The lightning struck Crimson Devourer, sending shockwaves through Shen Yuan''s body. The immense force sted him out of the sky, and he crashed into the ground with a resounding impact, forming a crater in the courtyard. The lightning bolt didn''t stop there¡ªitshed out wildly, striking the cherry tree nearby. The once-beautiful tree was scarred by the heavenly thunder, but its presence was pushed to the background as the onlookers focused on Shen Yuan. ¡­ Shen Yuan groaned, coughing violently as blood sttered onto the ground. His body felt like it was on fire, his limbs trembling from the sheer force of the impact. He forced himself to sit up, his vision swimming as he clutched Crimson Devourer, whichy embedded in the dirt beside him. "Damn it¡­" he muttered, his voice hoarse. But before he could assess his injuries, a sudden surge of Qi caught his attention. The sword began to hum, its crimson glow intensifying to an almost blinding brilliance.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Shen Yuan''s eyes widened as the strange ore fusedpletely with Crimson Devourer, the sword''s form changing before his very eyes. Its de became wilder, runes of an ancient, predatory script carving themselves along its surface. The weapon pulsed with a strange power, its aura now leagues above what it had been moments before. From its previous Spirit Grade, the sword ascended to the Heaven Grade directly, its presence overwhelming. Shen Yuan could feel it devouring the residual heavenly thunder and Qi in the air, greedily absorbing the energy to strengthen itself further. "Well, this is¡­ quite something," Shen Yuan muttered, a crooked grin forming on his bloodied face. Despite his battered state, a fire of determination burned in his eyes. He gripped the sword tightly, feeling its hunger resonate with his own fighting spirit. "Hah, looks like we won''t be going down without a fight, Crimson Devourer." He wiped the blood from his face before raising his head and looking straight at the churning heavens. The heavens churned ominously, the golden lightning clouds twisting and writhing as if alive, preparing to unleash their next judgment. The oppressive atmosphere grew heavier, the air charged with an overwhelming energy that made even the strongest cultivators watching from afar feel their knees buckle under the sheer might of the heavens. Shen Yuan, standing amidst the devastation, gripped Crimson Devourer tightly. The de pulsed in his hand, its new Heaven Grade aura radiating both strength and hunger. He wiped the remaining blood from his lips, a grim expression etched onto his face as he gazed at the turbulent sky. Yet there was a crazy smile on his face as it had been far too long since he had fought a worthy battle. ''Truly a madman, considering the heavens as his equal at the mere cultivation base of the Origin Core Creation Realm.'' Yue Lan thought incredulously while looking at Shen Yuan''s expression. The clouds shifted, and from within their depths emerged a terrifying figure¡ªa massive flood dragon, its serpentine body crackling with golden lightning. Its scales shimmered with raw power, each movement exuding an aura of divine judgment. The dragon''s eyes locked onto Shen Yuan, its maw opening wide as it roared with enough force to shake the ground below. "So, the heavens have decided to send their pet, huh?" Shen Yuan muttered, his tone defiant despite the blood dripping from his battered body. "Let''s see how you handle this." The flood dragon coiled in the sky before descending like a tidal wave of destruction, its thunderous roar echoing through the heavens. Shen Yuan nted his feet firmly, his Qi surging as he flew toward the sky once again, unleashing his full strength. ''Heaven and Earth Severance: Second Form¡ªTempest Slicing!'' he roared in his mind, the words reverberating with power. Crimson Devourer erupted with crimson energy, forming a vortex around him as he prepared his counterattack. Shen Yuan''s Second Level Sword Intent sted to life, its sharpness cutting through the oppressive aura. Simultaneously, he channeled Second Level Fire Intent, igniting the vortex with searing mes that danced wildly. Second Level Thunder Intent surged through the energy wave, crackling in harmony with the tribtion''s power as its strength seemed to increase with each passing moment. Second Level Radiant Intent added a brilliant glow, its light piercing through the dense clouds, while First Level Space Intent added an extra touch of sharpness to it, as due to its low level, it couldn''t contribute much against the heavens. His mastery of weapons came to the forefront as heyered in his Second Level Saber, Bow, Halberd, Axe, Spear, Scythe, and other Intents, each manifesting as spectral weapons hovering around him, their ethereal forms glowing with destructive power,bining with his other Elemental Intents. Chapter 298 Eighth Strike Thebined force of his intents gathered into Crimson Devourer, the de vibrating with such intensity that cracks formed on the ground beneath him. Shen Yuan swung the sword with all his might, releasing an overwhelming wave of energy toward the descending flood dragon. The Tempest Slicing attack shot upward, a swirling torrent of crimson, fire, lightning, and radiant light tearing through the air. The spectral weapons surged forward, adding their force to the wave, each weapon slicing through the heavens with precision and ferocity. The flood dragon met the attack head-on, its thunderous body colliding with the wave in an explosion of energy that lit up the entire sect. The force of the collision created shockwaves that rippled outward, shaking the foundations of the surrounding buildings. The disciples and elders watching from afar shielded their eyes, their awe and fear growing with each moment. For a brief instant, it seemed as though Shen Yuan''s attack would overwhelm the eighth heavenly tribtion. The flood dragon''s form trembled, its golden scales cracking under the relentless assault of hisbined intents. But the heavens were not so easily defeated. With a deafening roar, the flood dragon surged forward, its body breaking through the remnants of the Tempest Slicing wave. The spectral weapons shattered one by one, their energy dissipating into the air as the dragon''s overwhelming might bore down on Shen Yuan. While Shen Yuan hurriedly erected defenses from all the defensive techniques at his disposal, he couldn''t use his most powerful defensive technique¡ªSpatial Distortion, as the space had been sealed by the very heavens. Yet he used all other techniques, which couldn''t hold on for even a single instance. The lightning dragon struck Crimson Devourer first, the impact sending a jarring shockwave through Shen Yuan''s arm. The sword held firm, absorbing as much of the dragon''s energy as it could, but the sheer force overwhelmed even the Heaven Grade weapon. The remaining energy crashed into Shen Yuan''s body, hurling him downwards with terrifying force. Shen Yuan smashed into the ground of his courtyard, creating another deep crater as debris and dust flew into the air. His body rolled to a halt near the base of the cherry tree, his once-pristine robes now in tatters. Blood spilled from his mouth as he struggled to rise, his arms trembling under the immense strain. The flood dragon dissipated after hitting him, its purpose fulfilled, while the tribtion above churned once again, gathering strength for the ultimate strike. Shen Yuan coughed violently, his vision blurring as he clutched Crimson Devourer, now embedded in the ground beside him. The sword''s glow burned brightly, as though sharing its master''s defiance. "Damn it¡­" Shen Yuan muttered through gritted teeth, his breathingbored but his spirit remained unyielding. He raised his head toward the heavens, his gaze fierce despite the battered state of his body. "Still not enough to take me down," he growled, gripping the sword tighter as the weapon''s crimson light flickered back to life, matching the fire in his eyes. ... Huo Rong and Bing Rong sped their hands together while looking at Shen Yuan from above the sky, their eyes glistening with tears as they saw his battered body. Shen Yuxin clenched her fist while looking at Shen Yuan worriedly, while Yue Xian looked at her best friend in concern. But her thoughts turned as she remembered that ore. ''Didn''t we find that ore in one of the forbidden grounds of the Renjian World before? She gave it to him?'' ... The heavens churned furiously, the clouds twisting into a malevolent vortex as they gathered energy for the ninth and final strike. The oppressive aura of divine judgment enveloped the entire sect, pressing down on everyone within its range. The air grew impossibly dense, crackling with heavenly might. Even the most seasoned elders watching from afar felt their hearts tremble, as not even their Mortal Tribtions had been this hell-bent on killing them. Above, the tribtion clouds split apart, revealing a figure of pure majesty and terror¡ªa three-wed true dragon, its bodyposed entirely of golden lightning. It radiated an overwhelming divine presence, its roar shaking the heavens themselves. The sect was bathed in a brilliant light as the dragon descended, its golden scales shimmering with destructive energy. Shen Yuan stood within the shattered remnants of his courtyard, battered and bloodied, but his will remained unbroken. His hand gripped Crimson Devourer tightly, the de resonating with his indomitable spirit. The weapon''s Heaven Grade aura zed defiantly, as though challenging the heavens alongside its master. "Is this it? The heavens'' final card?" Shen Yuan''s voice was hoarse but steady, a crooked grin forming on his lips despite his injuries. "Let''s settle this little game with this final strike." The dragon roared as it descended, its massive form blotting out the sky. Shen Yuan''s Qi surged wildly, the power within him roaring to life as he activated every ability at his disposal. "Heaven and Earth Severance: Third Form¡ªOcean Splitter!" he bellowed, his voice shaking the air around him. Crimson Devourer erupted with unparalleled energy, the de glowing a deep crimson as it gathered power from every ounce of Shen Yuan''s Qi, utilizing all 366 Dantians of his to gather the Qi for this attack. The attack formed a massive tidal wave of crimson energy, surging upward to meet the descending dragon. The wave was infused with all of Shen Yuan''s Second Level Weapon Intents¡ªsword, saber, bow, halberd, axe, spear, scythe, and more¡ªeach adding its unique destructive force. His Elemental Intents red together with the other intents. Second Level Fire Intent ignited the energy, creating a searing ze. Second Level Thunder Intent crackled through the wave, matching the tribtion''s raw power. Second Level Radiant Intent added a blinding brilliance, cutting through the oppressive light of the dragon. First Level Space Intent, though weaker than the others, sharpened the energy, making the attack''s edges even deadlier. Shen Yuan''s Devouring Fiend Celestial Bloodline activated on its own, his body exuding an aura of predatory hunger. The bloodline''s power amplified his attack, drawing strength from the surrounding Qi and residual tribtion energy. His physiques worked in perfect harmony. The Primal Harmony Physique bnced the chaotic energies within him. The False Chaos Physique broke down the tribtion energy for absorption. The Purity Physique refined the energy, removing impurities and enhancing its potency. The Chaotic Vessel Physique acted as the perfect container, channeling the energy into Crimson Devourer without loss.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Thebined force of Shen Yuan''s attack surged upward, colliding with the descending dragon in a cataclysmic explosion of energy. The ground quaked violently, and shockwaves rippled outward, tearing apart thendscape and sending debris flying in all directions. For the first time, Shen Yuan''s attack seemed to be holding its own against the heavenly might. The dragon''s form flickered, its scales cracking under the relentless assault of his Ocean Splitter. But the heavens'' judgment was unyielding. With a deafening roar, the dragon pushed through the attack, its golden lightning surging toward Shen Yuan like a tidal wave of divine wrath. Shen Yuan braced himself, Crimson Devourer glowing with a desperate intensity as it absorbed the brunt of the dragon''s energy. His bloodline and physiques worked overtime, devouring and breaking down the energy while simultaneously strengthening his defenses. Yet, the force was too great. Chapter 299 End of Tribulation The dragon''s remaining power struck Shen Yuan head-on, a blinding pir of light engulfing him. His bones cracked audibly under the strain, and blood spurted from his mouth as his body was hurled backward, mming into the courtyard''s shattered ground. The earth trembled, and another deep crater formed beneath him. Silence fell over the sect as the light faded. The heavens grew still, the oppressive clouds dissipating as the tribtion concluded. The golden dragon had disappeared after attacking Shen Yuan. Shen Yuany at the bottom of the crater, his body battered and broken. His breathing was ragged, and his entire body trembled from the overwhelming strain. Yet, he was alive. Against all odds, he had survived the heavens'' final judgment. Crimson Devourer, embedded in the ground beside him, pulsed faintly, its aura more refined and intense than ever. The sword had absorbed a portion of the tribtion''s energy, its devouring capabilities growing stronger. Shen Yuan forced himself to sit up, his movements slow and deliberate. Blood trickled from the corners of his mouth, and his vision blurred, but his gaze remained sharp. He gripped Crimson Devourer tightly, the de''s warmth reassuring him. A faint smirk yed at his lips as he muttered, "Looks like¡­I''m still alive, heavens." Above, Shen Yuxin and the others stood frozen, their gazes locked on Shen Yuan. Tears welled in Huo Rong and Bing Rong''s eyes as they saw him rise once more. Shen Yuxin clenched her fists, a mix of pride and worry filling her heart. Yue Xian, standing beside her, exhaled a breath she hadn''t realized she was holding. "That boy¡­ he truly defies the impossible." Shen Yuxin''s voice was soft but filled with pride. "That''s my Yuan''er. Nothing¡ªnot even the heavens¡ªcan take him down."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om As Shen Yuan stood amidst the destroyed courtyard, the cherry tree nearby shimmered faintly, its scarred branches emitting a soft light. But Shen Yuan''s gaze focused solely on the sky, his eyes burning with an unyielding resolve. "I won''t forget this ''favor,'' my dear heavens. I will pay it back one day, for sure." His voice carried an icy chill as it spread across the courtyard. "Let this be a reminder, heavens," he murmured, his voice carrying across the silent courtyard. "No matter how many times you try¡­ I will rise every single time." From above, Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, Bing Rong, and Yue Xian descended hurriedly, their eyes locked onto Shen Yuan. Concern was etched deeply into their expressions, each of them barely restraining themselves from rushing to his side. As soon as their feet touched the ground, Huo Rong dashed forward, her voice filled with worry. "Yuan''er! Are you¡ª" "Stop," Yue Xian''s calm but firm voice cut through the tense air. "Look at him. He''s barely standing, but his aura hasn''t stabilized until now. If you touch him recklessly, it might aggravate his injuries." Shen Yuxin nodded, her hands trembling despite herposed demeanor. "She''s right. Let me handle this. I''ll stabilize his Qi flow." Bing Rong stood frozen, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "He looks¡­ he looks like he''s about to copse¡­" As the women approached cautiously, Shen Yuan''s legs buckled, and Crimson Devourer ttered to the ground. Shen Yuan''s body swayed dangerously, his battered form on the verge of copsing, but just then, a radiant pink light emerged from his sea of consciousness. The light enveloped him as if embracing his very essence, catching him before he could hit the ground. The brilliance dimmed gradually, revealing a figure that left everyone present utterly speechless. Yue Lan stood gracefully, cradling Shen Yuan in her arms. Her beauty was mesmerizing, the very embodiment of allure and elegance. Her long pink hair cascaded down her back like a silken waterfall, its gentle glow adding a surreal charm to her presence. Her pink eyes sparkled with a yful glint, yet held a depth that seemed to pierce through one''s soul. Her milky-white skin was wless, radiating an almost divine purity, contrasting sharply with her provocative attire. The sheer gown clung to her voluptuous figure, entuating her ample chest and narrow waist. The high slits on both sides of her dress revealed creamy thighs and smooth hips, every inch of her appearance enough to ignite the deepest desires of any man. For a moment, there was only silence. Huo Rong was the first to react, her eyes widening in shock as her cheeks turned a deep crimson. "T-That''s¡­ Yue Lan?" she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. She averted her gaze quickly but couldn''t help stealing nces. "Why is she dressed like¡­ that?" Bing Rong, normallyposed, was equally flustered. Her cheeks burned as she nced away, her voice unsteady. "She¡­ she''s more¡­ um¡­ radiant than I expected." Her eyes flickered between Yue Lan and Shen Yuan, a mixture of embarrassment and awe on her face. Shen Yuxin''s expression was a mix of surprise and disbelief. Her usualposure wavered as she took in Yue Lan''s appearance. "So¡­ this is Yue Lan," she murmured, her tone filled with curiosity and an uncharacteristic hint of jealousy. Her gaze briefly dipped to her own chest before she quickly looked away, biting her lip. "She¡­ certainly knows how to make an impression." All three of them had calmed down by now as they knew Yue Lan would take care of Shen Yuan. Yue Xian, however, had apletely different reaction. Her sharp gaze fixed on Yue Lan, narrowing slightly as she assessed the neer. Unlike the others, she wasn''t flustered but instead intrigued. "And who might this be?" Yue Xian''s tone was calm but carried a hint of curiosity and authority. "I don''t recall you mentioning such a¡­panion, Yuxin." Her eyes briefly lingered on Yue Lan''s provocative attire before returning to Shen Yuxin. Yue Lan, unaffected by the reactions, smiled warmly at everyone, her voice melodious and sweet. "Greetings," she said, her tone carrying a yful lilt. "I am Yue Lan, Shen Yuan''s¡­ closestpanion. We''ve spoken before, but I suppose this is our first time meeting face-to-face." She tilted her head slightly, her pink eyes sparkling with mischief as she nced at Shen Yuxin. "And yes, I know I''m stunning, but you don''t have topare, dear Yuxin," she teased, her voice dripping with yful confidence. Shen Yuxin''s lips twitched hearing her words, but she quicklyposed herself, her tone calm. "You certainly have a bold sense of style." Yue Lan chuckled, her voice like the soft chiming of bells. "Bold? Perhaps. But wouldn''t you agree it suits me?" She gently adjusted Shen Yuan in her arms, her expression softening as she looked down at him. "He''s been through so much. I couldn''t let him fall." Yue Xian crossed her arms, her sharp gaze lingering on Yue Lan. "You carry an air of immense power, yet your presence is¡­ strange. What exactly are you to Shen Yuan?" Yue Lan''s yful demeanor shifted slightly, her voice taking on a deeper, more sincere tone. "I am his guide, his partner, his anchor. What I am to him is beyond simple exnation. Suffice it to say, I am as much a part of him as he is of me." The profoundness of her words silenced Yue Xian for a moment, though her eyes still carried a flicker of curiosity. "Interesting." Chapter 300 Radiant Heart Peak Huo Rong and Bing Rong exchanged nces, their embarrassment fading slightly as awe reced it. "She''s¡­ amazing," Bing Rong murmured softly. Huo Rong nodded slowly. "That''s true¡­ if she''s by Yuan''er''s side, we can be assured of his safety." Yue Lan''s gaze shifted back to Shen Yuan, her expression soft and full of care. "He''ll be fine, but he needs rest," she said, her voice gentle. "His spirit is strong, but even he has limits." Yue Xian''s brows furrowed slightly. "And what do you propose we do now, Yue Lan?" Yue Lan looked up, her yful smile returning. "Simple. We ensure he gets the rest he needs. And if anyone dares disturb him¡­" Her pink eyes glowed faintly, her aura briefly ring with such overwhelming intensity that it seemed to even surpass the heavenly aura of the tribtion they had just experienced. "They''ll have to deal with me." Even Yue Xian''s sharpposure faltered for a moment under the sheer terror of Yue Lan''s presence, her breath bing ragged as she had never experienced such intense pressure in her life. Huo Rong and Bing Rong nodded in silent agreement, their respect for Yue Lan growing despite their initial reactions. Shen Yuxin exhaled a sigh of relief, feeling reassured that Shen Yuan had such a capable woman by his side. Yue Lan took onest nce at Shen Yuan before gently pushing his body toward Shen Yuxin. His body floated gently toward Shen Yuxin. "Take care of him. I can''t stay in this world for long, or else it will sense me," Yue Lan said before scattering into pink petals as she returned back into Shen Yuan''s sea of consciousness. Shen Yuxin gently grabbed Shen Yuan''s body while watching Yue Lan fade away. Huo Rong and Bing Rong moved forward to surround Shen Yuxin, looking down at the sleeping Shen Yuan with worried eyes. Yue Xian still looked shocked from the earlier encounter but slowly calmed down and took a deep breath before moving toward Shen Yuan.N?v(el)B\\jnn "Will he be alright?" Huo Rong worriedly asked. Shen Yuxin slowly nodded her head. "Yes. He has just exhausted all of his Qi. But his body is quite badly beaten up. He will need to rest for quite a while this time." Just as they were discussing, Mei Hua descended beside the group, her gaze carrying a faint hint of worry as itnded on Shen Yuan. Her eyes soon moved as she slightly bowed while cupping her fist toward Shen Yuxin. "Greetings, Senior Yuxin." Shen Yuxin nodded her head. "Rise." Mei Hua straightened her back, her gaze lingering on Shen Yuan''s battered body. "Senior Yuxin, I need to inform you of something important," she began, her tone formal but tinged with a hint of admiration. "We all had decided to give Shen Yuan the status of Core Disciple due to his astonishing disy during the Inter-Sect Competition. "However, he left abruptly to explore the Volcanic Lava Region, and upon his return, he entered seclusion. As such, the formal announcement was dyed." Shen Yuxin nodded her head softly, exhaling a sigh. "The title of Core Disciple should have long been bestowed upon him. "This dy is unfortunate, but I can understand it since he talked to me about it already. And with the events of today, I doubt anyone will have any problems." Mei Hua nodded. "Indeed. His actions during this tribtion have surpassed the expectations of the entire sect, and we still don''t know what the tribtion was for." Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Shen Yuan deeply, but afraid of offending Shen Yuxin, she continued speaking. "But of course, the elders have unanimously agreed to move him to a residence more befitting his new status. His current courtyard is¡­" Her gaze swept over the wreckage, a wry smile tugging at her lips. "¡­clearly unsuitable now." Huo Rong and Bing Rong exchanged nces, both of them relieved yet still visibly concerned for Shen Yuan. "Where will he be moved?" Bing Rong asked quietly. Mei Hua gestured toward the peak in the distance. "To the Radiant Heart Peak, the core of the sect as well as where the other Core Disciples stay. A courtyard there has been prepared for him. It is isted, spacious, and imbued with formations to aid in recovery and cultivation. It will ensure he has the peace he needs to recuperate." Despite calling it a single peak, there were multiple peaks due to the sheer size of the Radiant Heart Peak, and Shen Yuan had been given one such peak. Shen Yuxin nodded approvingly. "Very well. We''ll take him there immediately. The surroundings of the Radiant Heart Peak will also deter any unnecessary interruptions." Huo Rong and Bing Rong both moved closer, their faces etched with worry. "Let''s not waste any time," Huo Rong said, her voice firm. Yue Xian, herposure mostly restored, spoke up. "I''ll assist in setting up additional protective formations around his new courtyard. After what we''ve seen today, we cannot take any chances with his safety." Mei Hua bowed slightly. "Your assistance is appreciated, Senior..." "Yue Xian." She smiled softly toward Mei Hua and nodded her head in approval. It was rare to find someone who knew when to be flexible like Mei Hua. But another major reason for her helping Shen Yuan was what Yue Lan had said earlier¡ªa quiet warning to not let anyone disturb Shen Yuan''s rest. Huo Rong and Bing Rong exchanged silent nods of agreement as they prepared to move him. Shen Yuxin gently lifted Shen Yuan''s unconscious body with a delicate wave of her hand, wrapping him in a protective barrier of gentle Qi. His expression, though pale and weary, carried a trace of unyielding will even in his sleep. Huo Rong picked up his sword before following the group. ... As they ascended toward the Radiant Heart Peak, the group moved silently through one portal after another, each lost in their thoughts. The towering peak loomed ahead, bathed in the glow of the sect''s radiant formations. The air grew still, infused with a warmth befitting the sect''s core. Upon reaching the newly designated courtyard, Mei Hua led the way. The entrance was iid with intricate arrays glowing softly with protective energy, while the courtyard itself was vast, featuring a serene garden, a meditation chamber, and a recovery hall. "This ce should suffice," Mei Hua said softly, stepping aside to allow Shen Yuxin to enter first. Shen Yuxin gently ced Shen Yuan onto the bed, the room''s ambient Qi immediately responding to his presence, creating a calming atmosphere. She adjusted the barrier around him before stepping back. Huo Rong and Bing Rong stood by the door, their gazes fixed on Shen Yuan. "He''ll recover, won''t he?" Huo Rong asked, her voice tinged with worry. Shen Yuxin ced a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Yes, but it will take time. His body and spirit have endured an unimaginable ordeal. We must give him the space to heal." Huo Rong moved and ced his sword beside him on the bed, letting him rest with peace of mind. Mei Hua bowed once more. "The sect will ensure no one disturbs him. I will personally oversee the arrangements." Chapter 301 Dream Yue Xian approached Shen Yuxin, her tone soft yet firm. "Let me know if there''s anything else I can do to help you out." Shen Yuxin nodded, her gaze softening. "Thank you. For now, let''s ensure that everything is in ce." As the group exited the room, they began securing the surroundings of the courtyard, making sure no one disturbed Shen Yuan''s rest. ¡­ Faint voices began to echo in his mind. The voices were fragmented and distant, carrying an eerie sense of urgency. ''Pri¡­val¡­'' ''T..ant¡­'' His brows furrowed as the words gradually became clearer. Opening his eyes, he found himself sitting on a majestic throne in a vast, dark expanse, illuminated only by a dim, ethereal glow that seemed to have no source. Stretching endlessly before him was an army of such magnitude unlike anything he had ever seen. Their figures were shrouded in darkness, making it hard to see what they were. But each soldier radiated an oppressive aura, their ranks disciplined, their silence unnerving. Shen Yuan instinctively tightened, but instead of an empty fist, he felt something hard filling his hand. He slightly lowered his head to see a majestic sword resting beside him, its body covered with runes. With a distinct name etched on its hilt: ''Crimson Devourer.'' The faint voices returned, sharper now and filled with such strong conviction that it felt even death wouldn''t make them flinch. "He''sing¡­" Shen Yuan felt his body move, sharply turning toward a specific direction of the void where the voices were pointing. His body oozed with such a deathly chill that the mighty figures around him dropped to their knees within a second. He watched as the infinite void began to distort. A wave of suffocating pressure descended upon the entire void, nearly driving the entire army to their knees. Above the horizon, a figure emerged. Its silhouette wasposed of pure darkness, as if it were the very origin of all that is unholy in this world. Yet there was a strange charm to it, both beautiful and terrifying. Before the soldiers could catch their breaths, the void behind the figure shattered, and an army as huge as their own emerged. The voices rose in unison, bellowing now. "FOR THE TYRANT!" "FOR THE TYRANT!" "FOR THE TYRANT!" The figure shifted slightly, its gazending on Shen Yuan. Its aura crazily spiked as it raised a spear toward him,rge wings seeming to grow out of its back. The figure kicked the void and lunged toward Shen Yuan, shouting, "PRIMEVAL!!!!" Shen Yuan''s body moved as he stood up from his throne. He kicked the ground beneath the throne before jumping toward the ck figure with his sword in hand. Just as the sword and spear were about to sh, Shen Yuan''s vision shattered like ss, fragments dissipating into darkness. He awoke with a sharp gasp, his chest heaving as though he had fought the heavens again. But his body ached in pain as his injuries had yet to heal. His hand instinctively reached for the Crimson Devourer, still glowing faintly by his side on the bed. He took a few deep breaths, calming his rapidly beating heart as the surroundings slowly came into focus: the serene interior of his new courtyard. "Wha- Cough, cough-" Before he could even speak, he coughed violently due to his heavy internal injuries. [YUAN''ER!! What happened?] Yue Lan''s worried voice echoed in his head, filled with concern. ''Another strange dream.'' He didn''t exin anything more as hey down on the bed again. [¡­Is it like thest time?] ''Yes, but I don''t know if something changed this time or not, or why I am even having these dreams.'' He spoke in a tired voice, as it was truly not something he wanted to dream about. [You may be able to figure something out about your bloodline once you advance to the higher realms. Until then, even I can''t help you,] she said with a helpless sigh. Shen Yuan took a few more deep breaths to calm down, his breathing stabilizing as he put his sword back inside his inventory. The sharp ache of his injuries reminded him of the toll of the recent tribtion he had faced. He closed his eyes for a moment, his thoughts settling on Yue Lan''s voice in his mind. She changed the topic from his dreams to his recent battle: [Yuan''er, you''ve pushed yourself too much this time. Even you were on the verge of death during the recent battle.] Shen Yuan smirked faintly despite his exhaustion. "You sound like my mom now," he muttered. [I''ll take that as apliment.]n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Yue Lan''s tone softened, but there was still a trace of worry. [But seriously, if you keep this up, you''ll end up breaking yourself before the heavens even have the chance.] "Don''t underestimate me," Shen Yuan replied, his voice filled with power despite the fatigue. "If I''m not wrong, then I will have to face something far worse in the future, and if I don''t take these small risks right now, I might not survive that future." [Small risk? You''re calling this a small risk? You nearly got obliterated by the Heavenly Tribtion.] Shen Yuan exhaled a sigh. "Anyways, I will probably face this level of danger regrly if my luck doesn''t work with me." [That doesn''t mean it''s okay to keep testing your limits like this.] Yue Lan sighed, her presence a soothing balm to his battered spirit. [Still, I''m impressed. Forging a tenth core¡­ it''s unheard of.] Shen Yuan opened his eyes, his brow furrowing slightly. "Speaking of that¡­ I heard a notification during the battle. I ignored it at the time, but it might be important." [Oh? Then you should check it, Yuan''er. It is truly something worthy of you, especially considering what you''ve just achieved.] He nodded slightly and willed the system interface to appear before him. A familiar blue screen materialized in front of him, disying the backlog of notifications he had missed. [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION] [Ding] [Congrattions, Host. You have aplished an unprecedented feat: forging a Tenth Core.] [Such an achievement defies the naturalws and ces you among the legends of cultivation.] [As a reward for your unparalleled will and talent, you have been granted the Immortal-Rank Soulforge Physique.] Shen Yuan''s eyes widened, his fingers clenching the sheets beneath him. "Immortal-Rank Soulforge Physique¡­" he murmured. Even if it was his third physique with a grade above the Saint Rank, it was impressive nheless, as it would only upgrade his arsenal of abilities. [Hehe, do you like your reward, Yuan''er?] Yue Lan''s sweet voice sounded in his mind. [For your achievement of doing something impossible, it only makes sense to give you something that shouldn''t exist in the mortal world.] "What exactly is the Soulforge Physique?" Shen Yuan asked, scrolling further to find a detailed description. His gaze fixed on the next part of the notification. [Immortal-Rank Soulforge Physique] Overview: The Soulforge Physique is an Immortal-Ranked Physique, revered for its unparalleled ability to create and refine clones forged from the cultivator''s Soul Essence. Abilities: Clone ability is usable only at the Nascent Soul Realm. This physique transforms the cultivator into a master of Soul maniption, granting the ability to forge Soul Clones that reside within their Sea of Consciousness. Chapter 302 A week later With every advancement in cultivation, the cultivator gains the ability to craft additional clones, each enhancing their abilities and potential. -Increases Qi and Essence absorption rate by 300%. -Enhances soul endurance, reducing the impact of spiritual attacks. -Grants an innate affinity for forging soul-based artifacts and techniques. -Boosts mental rity and control over external energies. Shen Yuan''s lips curled into a tired yet excited smile. "This¡­this is truly what I needed to be even more absurd." [Hehe, you asked me about a cloning physique, and this was the best condensing your situation. But the only downside is you won''t be able to use its main ability for quite some time.] Shen Yuan''s smile turned gentle upon hearing her words. "Thanks for the consideration." [Don''t mention it. But you should really rest now, tribtion lightning is running rampant in your body.] Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow before looking inside his body to see Tribtion Lightning running rampant through his meridians and body. "Tsk, this is troublesome." He muttered with frowned brows while looking inside his body. [You can try to use your Physiques to remove the Tribtion Lightning.]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Shen Yuan nodded his head hearing her words, he closed his eyes and focused inward, his consciousness diving into his chaotic meridians. The rampaging Tribtion Lightning coursed through his body like wild serpents, wreaking havoc on his already injured body. His brows furrowed as he assessed the situation, the crackling lightning stubbornly resisting his attempts to subdue it. [Try to do it with your Physiques, Yuan''er,] Yue Lan''s voice echoed gently in his mind. [They should be able to help you without issue.] Taking a deep breath, Shen Yuan activated his Primal Harmony Physique, feeling its calming presence spread throughout his body. The chaotic lightning began to stabilize ever so slowly, the energy losing its edge under the influence of the physique''s bncing nature. Next, he utilized his False Chaos Physique, its unique ability to absorb and break down chaotic energiesing to life. The Tribtion Lightning resisted, surging with renewed vigor, but the physique began dismantling the wild energy into smaller, more manageable streams. His Purity Physique activated in tandem with the others, refining the broken-down lightning into a purer, less vtile form. Shen Yuan''s meridians, though battered, weed the purer energy, the strain on his body lessening bit by bit. Finally, the Chaotic Vessel Physique came into y, gathering and channeling the tamed lightning toward his fifth dantian¡ªthe Thunder Dantian, where his Thunder God Codex resided. The dantian pulsed with power, its core surrounded by the rune that symbolized the codex''s mastery over thunder. As the Tribtion Lightning entered the Thunder Dantian, the rune began to react violently, glowing brighter and pulsating with a rhythm that resonated with the raw energy being poured into it. The moment the first stream of Tribtion Lightning touched the rune, a dramatic change urred. The rune absorbed the energy greedily, its intricate lines glowing with a golden hue. Enjoy exclusive content from empire Shen Yuan felt a surge of power rippling through his Thunder Dantian, the codex adapting and evolving before his very eyes. The Tribtion Lightning began mutating the Thunder God Codex, its immense energy merging with the rune''s essence. The codex, once a powerful Sovereign grade technique, started radiating an overwhelming aura that seemed alive, as though it had ascended to a new realm of strength. [Your codex¡­ it''s mutating,] Yue Lan observed while curiouslymenting. [The Tribtion Lightning is fusing with it, enhancing its strength far beyond what it was originally capable of. It might reach Ancient Grade.] Shen Yuan gritted his teeth as the mutation reached its peak, his entire Thunder Dantian glowing like a miniature thunderstorm. The rune expanded and reshaped, adding newyers ofplexity to its design. The lighting within the dantian slowly calmed down, now fully integrated into the codex''s new and improved rune. The mutation waspleted with a resounding crack of thunder echoing through his consciousness. Shen Yuan''s body trembled, the strain of the process leaving him gasping for air, but the aura emanating from his Thunder Dantian was unmistakably more potent than ever before. [It''s done, Yuan''er,] Yue Lan said, her voice filled with relief. [Your Thunder God Codex¡­ it''s no longer just at the Sovereign Grade technique. It has ascended to Ancient Grade.] Shen Yuan slowly opened his eyes, a faint smile forming on his lips. "Tribtion Lightning¡­truly incredible." He murmured, his voiceced with exhaustion yet tinged with excitement. "The codex has ascended¡­ a true Thunder Ancestral God Codex." His eyes shined brightly as he softly said the name. [That''s a fitting name,] Yue Lan agreed, her voice returning back to her usual yful andzy tone. [But now you should rest now. This mutation pushed your already battered body even further. Now your body truly needs time to heal and adapt to its new changes.] "Why do I feel some soothing energy inside of my Sea of Consciousness? It feels as if something is nourishing it perpetually?" He tilted his head and asked. [Oh, you forgot about it? Well, it''s not a surprise seeing how many things you have gone through and it''s not been in use. But rest for now, we can explore itter.] Shen Yuan nodded weakly, the faint shimmering lighting Qi fading from the room as he closed his eyes and sank into the softness of the bed. ¡­ An uneventful week passed quietly in the serene surroundings of the Radiant Heart Peak around his courtyard. Shen Yuan''s courtyard remained undisturbed with the help of theyers of protective formations set up by Yue Xian and the order to not disturb Shen Yuan by Mei Hua. The ambient Qi within the Radiant Heart Peak filled his courtyard, nurturing Shen Yuan''s exhausted Dantians as he recuperated. Inside his room, Shen Yuany motionless on the bed with a steady breath. The violent Tribtion Lightning that had ravaged his body had only helped to further strengthen his physical body. [Wake up, Yuan''er.] Yue Lan''s soft voice echoed in his mind, breaking the long silence. Shen Yuan''s eyes fluttered open, his gaze sharp despite the lingering exhaustion in his body. He exhaled slowly, feeling his body brimming with energy due to his new cultivation base. Every fiber of his being felt stronger, more refined. "How long has it been?" he asked aloud, his voice soft. [Exactly a week,] Yue Lan replied, her tone light. [Your body was quite badly injured and exhausted. But at least with this week-long rest, your body is in a much more stable condition.] Shen Yuan sat up slowly, wincing slightly as he felt his body aching. "I feel¡­different. The Tribtion Lightning did more than just mutate the codex. It even improved my Thunder intent to the third level." [That''s to be expected,] Yue Lan said. [The integration of such a potent energy source doesn''t just affect your Dantian. If your physiques hadn''t disintegrated the Tribtion Lightning so fast, there was a chance for you to get a new Physique, but that chance was so minuscule that it wasn''t even in 0.001%.] Shen Yuan''s eyes shined as he heard her words, crazy ideas began forming one by one as he thought about the possibilities. [Don''t get any crazy ideas right now, you are still recovering. If you strain yourself too much, your body might break.] Chapter 303 Huo Rong and Bing Rong Visit Shen Yuan nodded, stretching his arms carefully. "Don''t worry. I still like to be alive. But I need to test this power soon. It feels like I''m on the verge of breaking through again." Before Yue Lan could respond, a light knock sounded at the door. Shen Yuan turned his head towards it, sensing a familiar presence outside. "Come in," he said, his voice turning gentle as he realized who was outside. The door slid open, revealing Huo Rong and Bing Rong. Both women entered quietly, their expressions a mix of relief and concern as their eyesnded on Shen Yuan''s recovering body. "Yuan''er! You are finally awake," Huo Rong said softly, her tone filled with worry. "How are you feeling now?" Shen Yuan smiled warmly. "My dear wives, why don''t youe here and check yourself?" Huo Rong and Bing Rong''s faces turned faintly red as they heard how he addressed them. "Then let me see." But Huo Rong didn''t back down. Boldly stepping forward, she moved forward and sat down beside him. Shen Yuan smiled and turned his head towards Bing Rong. "Come here as well, Sister Bing Rong, why are you standing all alone there?" Bing Rong shyly nodded her head before moving forward. She sat down on the other side of Shen Yuan. The two women looked at him with a faint hint of worry. "Go ahead, you can check how much injured I am," Shen Yuan softly smiled and said. Huo Rong and Bing Rong exchanged nces before gently cing their hands on Shen Yuan''s wrist and chest, circting their Qi to assess his condition. A momentter, their brows furrowed in confusion. Huo Rong spoke first, her voice tinged with surprise. "Your injuries¡­ they''repletely healed." Bing Rong nodded in agreement, her hand resting lightly over his chest. "Not just healed¡ªyour body feels brimming with energy, like a furnace ready to ignite. It''s incredible." Shen Yuan chuckled softly, his voice low yet teasing. "Why do you sound so surprised? Didn''t you know your husband is indestructible?" Huo Rong rolled her eyes, though a faint smile graced her lips. "Indestructible? You looked half-dead when we found you. Don''t get too cocky, Yuan''er." Bing Rong couldn''t hide her relief, her shy demeanor softening into a warm smile. "Still, it''s a miracle how quickly you''ve recovered. I thought it would take years to heal from that destructive Tribtion." Shen Yuan leaned back slightly, his smile turning a bit more serious. "It''s not just my recovery. The Tribtion Lightning helped strengthen my body and Dantians, but the mental toll of facing the heavens still lingers. That''s what''s keeping me so¡­ tired." Huo Rong nodded knowingly. "That makes sense. Fighting against the heavens isn''t something anyone cane out of unscathed, even if the injuries don''t show, especially with your low cultivation base." She paused briefly before continuing, "By all rights, you shouldn''t even be facing the heavens before the Mortal Tribtion Realm. But not only did you face the tribtion, it was¡­ stranger than a normal tribtion as well." [That is true.] Yue Lan''s voice echoed in the room, making both Huo Rong and Bing Rong''s eyes shine. "Do you know what was up with that Tribtion, Senior Yue Lan?" Bing Rong respectfully asked. Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow. He didn''t quite remember Yue Lan having that deep of an impression on the two of them. Enjoy more content from empire Yue Lan, feeling Shen Yuan''s doubt, smirked to herself and said, [That tribtion was not one of the normal ones, which have 30% Life Thunder and 70% Death Thunder. Your tribtion had 100% Death Thunder. It wasn''t meant to test him but to kill him, as he had vited one of the rules of the Heavenly Dao.] Shen Yuan rubbed his chin. "Interesting¡­ no wonder I felt it was more of an execution than a trial." [And from what I have felt from the tribtion, your realm''s Heavenly Dao is among the strongest Mortal Heavenly Dao, so it is an achievement in itself to be able to survive it.] Shen Yuan grew silent as he thought of something. "Why was my bloodline so active during the Tribtion? Was it because I was on the verge of death?" [Your bloodline was actively helping you to hide your 365 Dantians. Otherwise, the tribtion would have increased its intensity by tens to hundreds of times. Breaking one rule is enough, but having 365 Dantians is absurd on a whole other level.] Shen Yuan smirked and didn''t follow up with his questions as he had a rough idea about what to do with the heavens. Huo Rong and Bing Rong looked at each other, awe visible in their eyes as they heard what Shen Yuan had survived. Bing Rong hesitated for a moment before speaking. "That reminds me¡­ Yuan''er, the Sect Leader has made a decision about your status." Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. "Oh? What decision is that?" Huo Rong took over, her tone soft yet filled with pride. "The Sect Leader and the elders have unanimously decided to upgrade your status to a Core Disciple. They will hold a ceremony when you wake up to make it official." Shen Yuan leaned forward slightly, a faint smirk forming on his face as what he had expected finally happened. "A Core Disciple, huh? I suppose it''s long overdue considering everything that I have done for the Sect." Bing Rong nodded. "It is. Sect Leader Mei Hua said the decision had been dyed because you left to explore the Volcanic Lava Region and then entered seclusion. But after your tribtion and disy of strength, there''s no one among the Elders who will question that you deserve the title." Huo Rong ced her hand on his shoulder, her gaze serious. "This isn''t just about a title, Yuan''er. It''s about recognition¡ªnot only from the sect but from everyone who doubted your potential. You''ve proved yourself more than worthy."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Shen Yuan''s smile turned softer, his tone sincere. "Thank you, both of you. All I want is my family''s recognition. The rest of the world can burn for all I care." Huo Rong and Bing Rong smiled sweetly upon hearing his words. But Bing Rong soon asked, her expression hesitant. "Will you attend? The Sect Leader wants this to be a grand event to showcase your strength." Shen Yuan chuckled lightly, nodding his head. "That was my n all along. I need the recognition of everyone in the sect for what I n to do. And I also have a n for this ceremony. It will be quite something to see the faces of the elders on that day." Huo Rong''s lips curled into a teasing smile. "Good. Just don''t bete like thest time during the Sectpetition." Shen Yuan smirked, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "No promises." The three of them shared a lightheartedugh, the tension of the past week finally easing. As they talked and nned for the ceremony, Shen Yuan''s mind briefly wandered, his thoughts returning to the dreams of the vast army and the mysterious figure. The weight of those lost lives in that dream lingered in his chest. He was not sure whether that was his past or the future, but one thing he knew was that he needed to improve his strength quickly. Chapter 304 Legacy Treasury Soon, Huo Rong and Bing Rong left the room to let him rest as they needed to tell the Sect Leader about his recovery so she could manage the ceremony. He pushed his body back and leaned on the bed before softly asking, "What about Ling''er and Qingyu? How is their progress?" [They are doing good. Their seclusion will end in a few more days. They have integrated the techniques well enough.] Shen Yuan nodded his head with a smile. "That''s good. Hmm, I think I''m qualified enough to teach Qingyu alchemy." [For sure, she is but a newbie, and you are one of the most promising Alchemists of this world with your alchemy talent.] "Haha, no need to praise me so much, but I also need to know whether she is interested in learning alchemy or not," Shen Yuan softly said. [I''m sure she will like to learn alchemy.] "Well, let''s wait and see wha¡ª" He suddenly paused, a subtle hint of movement in his Dantian caught his attention. His brows furrowed as he examined his Dantians, noticing a faint movement within his Main Dantian. "What''s this?" As he probed further, his gaze sharpened upon realizing the source of the movement. It was the Ancestral Pagoda, the artifact he had received after clearing the sect''s trial during his entrance. Its surface glimmered faintly, its intricate carvings seemingly pulsating with life. Before he could investigate further, a deep, ancient voice echoed in his mind. "Inheritor of the Pagoda Bearing Monarch''s legacy, you have unlocked the first level of the treasury. Prepare yourself for the journey within." Shen Yuan''s eyes widened as Yue Lan''s voice chimed in, her toneced with curiosity. [So was the requirement to have achieved the power level of Dao Core Forming Realm? Or was it toprehend an Intent to the third level? You should investigate what is inside of it nheless.] Shen Yuan nodded, carefully withdrawing the pagoda from his Dantian and cing it on the ground. The artifact expanded as it materialized, its form growing until it stood tall in the middle of his room, emanating a soft, golden glow. "What now?" Shen Yuan murmured, his gaze locked on the pagoda. [Try channeling your Qi into it,] Yue Lan suggested. [It may require your energy to activate fully.] He followed her advice, directing a steady stream of Qi into the pagoda. The artifact responded immediately, its glow intensifying as a vortex of energy formed around it. The next moment, Shen Yuan felt a tug on his consciousness as the world around him shifted. When the disorienting sensation faded, Shen Yuan found himself standing within the pagoda. The interior was vast and surreal, with towering levels extending infinitely above and below him. He instinctively reached out with his consciousness and realized, to his surprise, that he had absolute control over the space. "This¡­ I can change everything," Shen Yuan muttered, a sense of authority creeping into his voice. He waved his hand experimentally, watching as the environment around him shifted to match his will. Trials, pathways, and even the energy density within the pagoda could be altered at hismand. [Impressive,] Yue Lan remarked, her voice filled with approval. [This level of treasure is rare even if we look at the entire Mortal world. And you having control over it to this extent is even more impressive.] Before Shen Yuan could respond, a soft glow appeared beside him, forming into the shape of a small spirit. The spirit was childlike in appearance, with an ethereal body and shimmering eyes that radiated intelligence. "Greetings, Master," the spirit said in a high-pitched yet respectful voice. "I am the spirit of the Ancestral Pagoda, here to assist you with whatever dangers you decide to face. You have unlocked the first level of the treasury." Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow. "First level? How many levels are there?" The spirit smiled, floating upward slightly. "Three levels make up the treasury, each containing treasures of increasing value and rarity." Shen Yuan''s interest piqued. "Take me to the first level then." The spirit bowed slightly. "As you wish, Master. Follow me." Shen Yuan followed the small spirit as it floated gracefully ahead. The environment around him shimmered, and with a sh of light, they appeared directly on the ninth level of the pagoda. The air here felt different¡ªa serene environment yet vibrant with an abundance of Qi. The floor beneath them gleamed like polished jade, etched with intricate patterns of runes that pulsed faintly with energy. "This is the ninth level," the spirit exined, its voice steady and reverent. "The trial was changed when youpleted the Dao Heart Trial here. It was an achievement worth recording in the annals of history as no one had been able to even visit this level, much lessplete it." Shen Yuan looked around, taking in the grandeur of the space. Massive stone pirs lined the edges of the chamber, each engraved with scenes of Immortal beings battling titanic beasts. At the far end of the world stood a massive double door, its surface shimmering like liquid gold. "That door," Shen Yuan said, pointing toward it. "Does it lead to the treasury?" The spirit nodded. "Indeed, Master. The treasury lies beyond, but it is not part of this pagoda. Instead, it resides in a separate Mystique Realm tied to the pagoda''s power¡ªa realm that manifests as the non-existent tenth floor." Shen Yuan''s gaze sharply focused on the gate. "Then let''s not waste any time. Open it." The spirit floated toward the door, its body glowing brighter as it touched the runes etched into the golden surface. With a resonating hum, the door began to change, its massive panels parting to reveal a swirling vortex of radiant light. The energy pouring from the portal was almost overwhelming, making Shen Yuan''s heart race with anticipation. "Master, the treasury awaits," the spirit said, gesturing toward the portal. Shen Yuan took a deep breath and stepped forward, his figure disappearing into the light. ¡­ As the light faded, Shen Yuan found himself standing in an entirely new realm. The Mystique Realm was breathtaking¡ªa boundless expanse where the sky shimmered with hues of gold and silver, and the ground sparkled with crystalline formations. Rivers of liquid Qi flowed freely, their currents carrying an aura of pure vitality. In the distance, floating inds hovered in mid-air, each brimming with treasures of unimaginable value. Shen Yuan could sense the presence of powerful artifacts, rare herbs, ancient techniques, and other treasures scattered throughout the realm. "This is¡­" Shen Yuan whispered, his voice tinged with shock. The spirit floated beside him, its tone proud. "This is the first level of the Ancestral Treasury, Master. Here, you will find treasures ranging from Mortal to Sovereign Grade, including weapons, cultivation techniques, refining materials, herbs, pills, martial techniques, and many other misceneous items." Shen Yuan''s eyes gleamed as he took in the sight. "This ce is a cultivator''s paradise." The spirit nodded. "Indeed. The first level alone holds treasures that would cause wars in the Mortal World. The creator of this Pagoda waged war on an unknown number of worlds before he gathered this absurd amount of treasures." "However, essing the Emperor Grade and Sovereign Grade treasures is not as simple as taking them. Each one is protected by its own trial or requirement, ensuring the inheritor does not take all of them out and get himself killed." Shen Yuan smirked, his confidence unshakable. "Trials, huh? I''ve faced worse. Show me the treasures for now." The spirit guided him toward the nearest floating ind, where an otherworldly saber stood shimmering with divine light. "This is a Sovereign Grade Weapon," the spirit exined. "But to im it, you must demonstrate mastery over your Saber Law."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Enjoy more content from empire Shen Yuan felt his lips trembling. "Law? Not intent?" Chapter 305 Exploring the Treasury Shen Yuan''s lips twitched slightly at the spirit''s exnation. "Mastery over Saber Law¡­ Interesting. It seems the treasures here are indeed worthy of their grades." The spirit floated beside him, nodding. "Master, the Ancestral Treasury is not merely a storage of treasures; it is a ce of trial and growth. The requirements for each item are designed to refine the inheritor further." Shen Yuan swept his gaze across the shimmeringndscape of floating inds, each radiating unique auras. "I see. For now, I won''t take anything. Let''s continue exploring." The spirit bowed lightly. "As you wish, Master. Allow me to guide you." The small figure floated ahead, leading Shen Yuan deeper into the realm. They passed inds overflowing with towering stacks of refining materials, their auras vibrant and enticing. Shen Yuan spotted glowing crystals, rare metals, and even raw Essence Stones of various grades. His fingers itched at the sight, but he held back, knowing it wasn''t the time to be hasty. "Those materials," Shen Yuan asked, pointing at a cluster of crystalline ores glowing with faint golden light, "what are they?" The spirit nced at the ores and replied, "Those are Heaven''s Lament Crystals, a rare material used in forging Emperor-Grade artifacts. One of their basic functions is to enhance an artifact''s ability to absorb and channel Qi." Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Heaven''s Lament Crystals? That''s a material even sect masters would covet. And they''re just sitting here?" The spirit chuckled softly. "Master, this treasury is beyond mortalprehension. What seems rare in your world is but the foundation of what the Ancestral Pagoda contains." Shen Yuan nodded calmly. "I suppose I shouldn''t be surprised anymore." They continued onward, passing inds filled with ancient scrolls and tomes. Shen Yuan could feel the pulsating energy of long-forgotten techniques and cultivation manuals, each radiating an overwhelming aura of mystery and power. The spirit stopped beside a hovering tform stacked with golden scrolls. "These are cultivation techniques that range from Mortal Grade to Sovereign Grade. However, some of these scrolls are iplete and must beprehended by oneself to restore their full potential." Shen Yuan''s gaze lingered on the scrolls, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "Iplete techniques? That makes them even more intriguing." The spirit nodded. "Indeed. Many treasures here require not just strength but intelligence, perseverance, and understanding. Only those who meet the criteria can unlock their true potential." Shen Yuan''s expression softened into a thoughtful smile. "This ce truly tests more than just power." They moved to another ind, where towering nts thrived in fields of fertilized soil. The air was fragrant with the scent of rare herbs, their auras potent enough to make Shen Yuan''s heart race. "These herbs," the spirit said, gesturing at a patch of radiant flowers, "are Starze Lotuses. They are Sovereign Grade herbs used in concocting elixirs to refine the body and soul for ascension." Shen Yuan knelt beside one of the flowers, observing its delicate petals glowing faintly under an ethereal light. "A Starze Lotus¡­ An alchemist''s dream. Just one of these could revolutionize a sect''s medicinal knowledge." He straightened and turned to the spirit. "I assume taking even one would trigger a trial?" The spirit nodded. "Yes, Master. Each herb here has its guardian trial. Attempting to take it without preparation would lead to unnecessary risk." Shen Yuan chuckled. "Risk has never been an issue, but I''ll save it for another time. Let''s continue." The exploration led them to a floating tform that housed a massive cauldron. Its surface was inscribed with ancient runes, each glowing faintly with suppressed power. Its aura was suffused with an overwhelming presence of alchemical mastery. "This is the Sovereign-Grade Cauldron of Eternal mes," the spirit exined reverently. "An alchemist''s dream that grants absolute control over temperature and Essence integration. However, it requires mastery over me Laws and Alchemy Law to im." Shen Yuan''s eyes narrowed as he examined the cauldron. "Two Laws¡­ Another hurdle to ovee. This ce truly spares no one." He turned to the spirit. "Are there artifacts or treasures here that don''t require such stringent conditions?" The spirit smiled lightly. "There are, Master. But the higher the grade, the more demanding the requirements. The Ancestral Treasury is designed to challenge and mold its inheritor." Shen Yuan crossed his arms, a smirk ying on his lips. "Good. Challenges only mean more opportunities to grow." As they continued, Shen Yuan felt his understanding of the Mystique Realm deepening. This ce was not merely a storage of treasures¡ªit was a training ground, a crucible meant to refine the inheritor into someone capable of wielding the immense wealth it offered. He paused atop a floating tform, gazing at the endless expanse of the realm. "This treasury holds enough wealth to shake the foundations of the Mortal World." The spirit floated beside him. "And it is all yours, Master, provided you are willing to earn it." Shen Yuan''s smirk widened. "Oh, I will. Just not today. For now, I have a particr treasure in mind. Take me to the ce where cksmithing manuals are ced." The spirit tilted its head slightly, a faint smile forming on its glowing face. "As you wish, Master. I will guide you to the section where cksmithing techniques and manuals are stored." With a wave of its hand, the surroundings shed and shifted. Shen Yuan found himself standing before a massive floating ind brimming with towering bookshelves made of glowing crystal. The shelves were filled with old scrolls, memory crystals, bound tomes, and glowing tablets, each radiating an aura of knowledge. "This ind contains cksmithing techniques, ranging from Mortal Grade to Sovereign Grade," the spirit exined. "The techniques here cover weapon forging, artifact refinement, and even specialized fields such as soul-infused creations and elemental forges." Shen Yuan stepped forward, his eyes scanning the rows of shelves. "Show me the Sovereign and Emperor Grade techniques first. I want to see what the pinnacle of cksmithing in the mortal world looks like." The spirit floated ahead, guiding him to a section where the energy was almost suffocatingly dense. The scrolls and tablets here shimmered with golden and deep crimson auras, exuding an oppressive weight of boundless knowledge. The spirit gestured toward a glowing tablet. "This is the Eternal me Forging Method, a Sovereign Grade technique. It enables the user to forge weapons that grow with their wielder, evolving in strength as the user''s cultivation progresses. However, iming this requires mastery over me Laws and cksmithing Law." Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, impressed. "A forging technique that creates evolving weapons¡­ This alone could revolutionize the art of cksmithing in my world." The spirit then moved to another tablet, this one exuding an even more potent aura. "This is the World Shaper''s Codex, another Sovereign Grade technique. It allows the smith to weave fragments of World Laws into their creations, producing artifacts that can influence thews of the world itself." "To im it, one must master at least one Law and pass the trial, which includes forging an artifact under immense pressure from multiple world fragments."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Shen Yuan''s lips twitched. "As expected, Sovereign Grade techniques are on another level. But I''m not prepared for these trials yet." Chapter 306 Leaving The spirit bowed slightly. "Indeed, Master. These techniques demand exceptional cultivation and mastery over Laws. For now, I rmend considering King Grade techniques, as you may im any treasure of King Grade or below without undergoing a trial." Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Looks like the Monarch was truly generous. Take me to the King Grade techniques. Let''s see what''s avable." The spirit guided him to another section of the ind, where the energy was less overwhelming but still potent. Here, the scrolls and tablets glowed with vibrant hues, each one containing knowledge that could elevate an ordinary cksmith to a revered Ancestor in a sect. The spirit gestured toward a glowing scroll. "This is the Heavenly Tempering Method, a King Grade technique that focuses on enhancing durability and resonance between the artifact and its wielder. It is particrly effective for crafting weapons meant for prolonged use in battle. And it also helps the user master Intents faster." Shen Yuan picked up the scroll, feeling the warmth of its energy. "This could be useful." The spirit pointed to another scroll, this one emanating a blue-gold aura. "This is the Auric Forge Technique, a King Grade method for imbuing artifacts with elemental affinities. It allows the user to create weapons and tools that channel specific elemental energies more effectively." Shen Yuan''s eyes shed as he examined the scrolls. "The Auric Forge Technique¡­ This mighte in handy. I''ll take both of these." The spirit bowed. "As you wish, Master. You may freely im any King Grade techniques or treasures without restriction." Shen Yuan tucked the scroll into his spatial ring and scanned the shelves once more. "I''ll save the higher-grade techniques for when I''m ready to face their trials. For now, this will suffice." The spirit floated beside him, its tone respectful. "Wise decision, Master. It is better to prepare adequately before attempting the higher challenges." Shen Yuan turned to the spirit, his gaze calm. "Let''s continue exploring. I want to see what other treasures this treasury has to offer before I leave." The spirit nodded. "Of course, Master. There is still much to discover." With that, the two continued their journey through the Ancestral Treasury, Shen Yuan''s mind buzzing with possibilities as his gaze roamed over the absurd amount of fortune that the Pagoda-Bearing Monarch had amassed over the years. He went from one floating tform to another, looking at the treasures one by one. Among the many floating inds, he found a few inds filled to the brim with Spirit Stones of all levels and even the higher-level Spirit Vein Cores of all levels. Opening his system inventory, he collected all of the Spirit Stones. "Well, well, well, now this wille in handy, and I can also take it without worry." Shen Yuan nodded his head with a smile and continued exploring, weaving through the breathtaking expanse of the Monarch''s treasury. Each floating ind presented new marvels¡ªrivers of liquid essence flowing through crystalline channels, weapons exuding ancient auras, and artifacts humming with absurd power. Despite the boundless treasures, Shen Yuan remained cautious, knowing the value of patience in such a ce as any random trial could kill him. On one of the inds, he came across a massive collection of celestial robes, each one shimmering with protective runes and intricate embroidery glowing with Essence. The spirit hovered beside him and exined, "These robes range from King Grade to Sovereign Grade. Each provides unique defenses, from elemental resistance to spatial maniption." Shen Yuan inspected a particrly white robe embedded with golden patterns that emitted a soft golden glow. "This one?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The spirit nodded. "That is the Golden Ethereal Mantle, a Sovereign Grade defensive robe that adapts to the wearer''s energy and boosts elemental resistance by 70%. However, it requires mastery over Five Elemental Laws to im." Shen Yuan sighed, his eyes glinting with restrained ambition. "It seems every Sovereign treasure here demands mastery over something extraordinary. I''ll save this for another time." But just as he was about to leave, his eyesnded on an ordinary white robe fluttering in the wind. Shen Yuan curiously examined the seemingly ordinary white robe, its soft fabric fluttering gently despite the still air. "What about this one? This seems quite¡­ ordinary?" he asked. The spirit floated closer, its glowing eyes fixed on the garment. "Master, this is the Ethereal Silk Robe, a King Grade treasure. Though it appears unassuming, its capabilities are anything but. It provides seamless energy flow within the wearer''s body, enhancing Qi cirction and energy recovery by 30%. Additionally, it has passive defenses against spiritual and physical attacks, forming an energy barrier during critical moments." Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, reaching out to touch the robe''s fabric. It felt smooth and cool, radiating a calming energy. "This might be exactly what I need for now¡ªsimple yet effective." The spirit nodded. "Indeed, Master. The Ethereal Silk Robe is favored by many for its practicality and adaptability. Unlike Sovereign Grade treasures, it imposes no trials for acquisition. You can im it freely." A faint smile formed on Shen Yuan''s lips as he lifted the robe, feeling its light weight. "Practical and low-maintenance. I''ll take it." With a thought, he stored the robe in his spatial ring, already envisioning how useful it would be in bothbat and cultivation. "This treasury truly knows how to cater to my every need." The spirit floated beside him, its tone respectful. "A wise choice, Master. The Ethereal Silk Robe will serve you well on your journey." He moved on,ing across an ind surrounded by glowing orbs. As he drew closer, the orbs hummed, their light intensifying. "What are these?" Shen Yuan asked. "These are Soul Orbs, each containing condensed spiritual energy. They are used to temper the soul and expand the Sea of Consciousness. However, you can take these freely as most of them are at the King Grade," the spirit replied. Shen Yuan stepped back, noting the treasure in his mind for future use. "I''ll return for these when my cultivation has advanced to the Nascent Soul Realm." The next ind housed a massive collection of swords. Each weapon floated upright, its de gleaming with power. Shen Yuan''s gaze fell on a sword with a dark, jagged edge surrounded by an ominous aura. "That sword feels¡­ alive," he muttered. The spirit exined, "That is the Void Cleaver, a Sovereign Grade sword forged from Void Essence. It can disrupt spatial constructs and tear through barriers. However, it requires mastery over Space Laws and Sword Law to im." Shen Yuan smirked but shook his head. "I will pass for now. I already have a good sword." ''And not like I can im it anyway.'' He softlyughed to himself. As the hours passed, Shen Yuan''s exploration led him to more wonders¡ªenchanted scrolls, celestial herbs, and artifacts of myriad uses. However, despite his curiosity, he refrained from iming anything beyond King Grade, knowing the trials for higher-grade items would just kill him at his current level. After what felt like an eternity of wandering, Shen Yuan paused on a floating tform. "This treasury truly seems endless," he remarked. The spirit nodded. "Indeed, Master. The Ancestral Pagoda''s Treasury is vast, and exploring it fully would take quite a long time due to so many lesser-quality treasures. Many treasures lie hidden in deeperyers, waiting for the right moment." Chapter 307 Plan Shen Yuan sighed, his gaze sweeping across the horizon filled with shimmering inds. "For now, I''ve seen enough. I''ll return when I need something specific from here." The spirit bowed respectfully. "As you wish, Master. Shall I guide you back to the pagoda''s ninth level?" Shen Yuan nodded. "Do it." With a wave of the spirit''s hand, the surroundings shifted. The radiant expanse of the Mystique Realm faded, reced by the familiar polished jade floor of the ninth level of the pagoda. The towering golden doors behind him sealed themselves with a faint hum. Shen Yuan exhaled deeply, his mind racing with thoughts of what he had seen. "This ce is truly beyondprehension. The treasures here could elevate the entire fucking world." The spirit floated beside him. "And they are yours, Master, when you are ready to earn them." Shen Yuan smirked. "Oh, I will. For now, I need to focus on growing stronger." The spirit bowed once more. "If you wish to leave the pagoda, Master, simply focus your intent, and you will return to your original location." Shen Yuan nodded. "I''ll take my leave, but keep the treasury ready. I''ll be back sooner orter." With a thought, Shen Yuan''s surroundings blurred, and he found himself back in his room in the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect. The golden pagoda sat quietly on the floor, its glow dimmed slightly but still its majestic aura remained stable. Shen Yuan leaned against the wall, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "The treasures of the Pagoda Bearing Monarch¡­ One day, they''ll all be mine." [Do you think the sect elder and leader will cough out blood if they found out how much they lost out on due to you taking the pagoda?] Shen Yuan''s lip curled into an amused smile. "Haha, no need to think so much. Not like I''m running after taking their money. I will repay them one way or another for this." [Yes, make sure to solve all your Karmic ties, or they will be problematic during your ascension.] "I know, you already told me about this before." He lightly shook his head. [Just reminding.] A silence ensued in the room as Shen Yuan rested with his eyes closed for some time. "Hey, Lan''er. What do you think, was Pagoda Bearing Monarch an Immortal?" He opened his eyes and curiously asked. [You just can''t rest for a few moments in peace.] Yue Lan''s exasperated voice sounded in his mind. [Why don''t you open the treasury to find that out?] Shen Yuan''s lips trembled hearing her words, "You think I would be here asking you about it if I could open that treasury?" [It would ruin all the fun if I spoil you so soon, no? Let''s wait and see.] Shen Yuan shook his head and changed the topic, "Anyways, now that I have the strength of Dao Core Forming Realm cultivator, I can initiate that n which I had in mind for a while." [You will need to leave the sect for that. And in your current situation I doubt they will allow you to go out.] "Haah¡­" He exhaled a tired sigh hearing her words, "I will leave after the ceremony then. I doubt they won''t let me go at that time as well." [That seems true as well.] Shen Yuan leaned back against the bed, stretching his limbs as he chuckled softly. "Lan''er, sometimes I feel like you enjoy keeping me guessing." [Of course, I do. What''s the fun in handing everything to you on a silver tter? Besides, isn''t it more thrilling to discover things on your own?] Shen Yuan sighed, rubbing his temple. "You and your love for mysteries. Alright, no spoilers. I''ll figure it out when the timees." [That''s my Yuan''er,] She teased.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om [Now, what''s this n of yours that you''re so eager to initiate?] Shen Yuan''s expression turned yful as he chuckled, "Now, why don''t you take a guess?" [¡­mot-] "Now now, no cursing. You won''t have to wait for long to know about my n after all." He enjoyed teasing her to the fullest. [Hmph, let''s see if the sect will even allow you to go out with how much trouble you attract.] Shen Yuan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "True. The Sect Leader and elders are bound to be watchful after my tribtion. But after the ceremony, they won''t focus as much on me. That''s when I''ll make my move." [Just don''t go ahead and get yourself killed during your n.] Shen Yuan smirked. "Don''t worry, Lan''er. I''m not reckless. Calcted risks are my specialty." [So you say,] Yue Lan replied dryly. [But you nearly died during the tribtion.] "Calcted risk." He smirked and replied. [The fuck. You didn''t even know about the tribtion you lying bit-] "It''s about time I take some rest." He closed his eyes with a yful smirk as Yue Lan got silent seeing him about to go to rest. After a while, fatigue crept back into his body, his spirit still weary due to facing the heavens. Shen Yuan muttered softly. "Wake me if anything interesting happens." [¡­Rest well,] Yue Lan''s voice carried a rare warmth as it faded into the background. ¡­ When Shen Yuan woke, the sunlight streaming through the window indicated it waste morning. He stretched, feeling the lingering ache in his body. A soft knock on the door caught his attention. "Come in," he called, his voice still slightly groggy. The door slid open to reveal Shen Yuxin, her beautiful figure enhanced by the light streaming in from the corridor. Her expression was a mix of concern and relief as her eyes fell on Shen Yuan. "Yuan''er," she said softly, stepping into the room. "You''re awake. How are you feeling?" Shen Yuan offered a faint smile, sitting up straighter. "Much better, Mom. The rest did me good." Shen Yuxin approached him, her gaze scanning his body. "You''ve been through a lot. The Tribtion¡­ it''s more than most could handle. And the Tribtion was not even a normal one." Shen Yuan chuckled. "You make it sound like I''m an old man reminiscing about my glory days." Shen Yuxin''s lips curved into a gentle smile. "You''re far from old, but you''ve achieved more than most your age. Still, you shouldn''t have pushed yourself so hard." Her words carried a warmth that made Shen Yuan feel warm. "I know, Mom. I''ve been taking it easy. Lan''er''s been nagging me about it too." Shen Yuxin''s eyes twinkled with amusement. "Good. At least someone is keeping you in check." Shen Yuan gestured toward his bed. "Sit here, Mom. You didn''te here just to scold me, did you?" Shen Yuxin looked at him yfully, "Why? Can''t Ie to visit my dear husband or rather son when he is injured?" Shen Yuan pulled Shen Yuxin gently into his embrace, his arms encircling her waist as he smelled her sweet fragrance. She let out a soft sigh, leaning into him with a warmth that spoke of their close bond. His fingers brushed against her silken hair, and he rested his chin lightly on her shoulder. "Mom," Shen Yuan murmured, his tone yful yet affectionate, "I really missed you. But I thought it would take much more time for you to get back." Chapter 308 Ceremony Details Shen Yuxin gently exhaled, "It was because Huo Rong sent me a message about your Tribtion, so I rushed back here." Shen Yuan nodded his head while gently patting her back, "I see, so you informed your family about the Abyssal Cmity?" She nodded her head, "Yes, and they have started their preparations for the war."N?v(el)B\\jnn "That''s good," Shen Yuan sighed in relief. "Now I just need to get stronger myself." She raised her head and looked straight into Shen Yuan''s eyes. "You''re already pushing yourself too much, Yuan''er. There is no need for you to do this. I alone am enough to ensure your safety even if the cmity strikes." Shen Yuan looked straight into her eyes before slowly asking, "Are you sure you can ensure the safety of our entire family?" Shen Yuxin''s eyes shed with nervousness, but before she could say anything, he continued, "I''m not alone now. I have many things and many people that I want to protect, and I have the perfect n to make that happen." Her eyes softened as he gently caressed her cheeks. "Just believe in me, okay?" Shen Yuxin''s eyes shed with surprise. ''¡­He really grew up, huh,'' she thought, gently smiling as she leaned forward and gave a soft kiss on his cheek. "Then I will believe in you." Shen Yuan smiled, his eyes shing with a yful yet determined light. As Shen Yuxin leaned back from her soft kiss, he gently cupped her chin, tilting her face toward him. "Good," he murmured, his voice dropping to a seductive tone. "Because I need you to trust me with everything." Before Shen Yuxin could respond, Shen Yuan closed the distance between them, his lips capturing hers in a wild kiss. The kiss was deep and fiery, a surge of emotions and unspoken desires pouring out between them. Shen Yuxin''s breath hitched, her body responding instinctively as her arms wrapped around his neck. Their lips moved together in a heated rhythm, the room filling with the faint sound of their breathless exchange. Shen Yuan''s hand slid up her back, his fingers tracing her slender figure as he pulled her closer, leaving no space between them. Shen Yuxin''s hands trembled slightly as they tangled in his hair, her initial surprise melting into a mix of passion and surrender. A soft moan escaped her lips, and Shen Yuan took it as encouragement. His tongue teased her lower lip, seeking permission to enter, and she yielded without resistance, their kiss growing even more intimate. The soft heat of their shared warmth filled the room, and Shen Yuan''s other hand trailed down, fondling her soft, creamy white butt yfully. Shen Yuxin broke the kiss momentarily, gasping for air, her cheeks flushed a deep crimson. "Yuan''er¡­" she whispered, her voice trembling with both affection and need. Shen Yuan smirked, his gaze intense and unwavering. "I told you, Mom," he murmured against her lips, his tone dripping with confidence. "I''ll protect everything. That includes you." Her response was cut short as he imed her lips again, this time with even more fervor. The room seemed to grow warmer, the atmosphere heavy with the growing lust in the room. Shen Yuxin''s body melted into his embrace, her soft moans blending with his deep groans as the kiss grew increasingly passionate. The sound of her soft sighs and the asional moan filled the space, creating an intimate music that only they could hear. Shen Yuan''s hands roamed freely, fondling her ass, thighs, and boobs as he pleased while Yuxin continued the deep kiss. Their exchange continued for a moment longer, their breaths mingling as they finally broke apart, both panting softly. Shen Yuxin rested her forehead against his, her eyes half-lidded and dazed. "You''re so reckless sometimes¡­" she whispered, her voice barely audible. Shen Yuan chuckled, his voice low and teasing. "And you wouldn''t have it any other way." Shen Yuxin couldn''t help butugh softly, her lips curving into a tender smile as she tightened her arms around him. "Pervert. Your body still needs rest." "You aren''t any less wild than me in bed. As for rest, I guess that''s true. My spirit has yet to heal," Shen Yuan replied, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead before pulling her into a warm embrace. The fiery passion of their moment was now reced with aforting sense of closeness. The two stayed like that for a moment, savoring the intimacy they just shared. "Do you know anything about the ceremony that will be held?" he softly asked. Shen Yuxin gently rested her head against Shen Yuan''s chest, softly breathing in his enchanting scent. "The ceremony will be held tomorrow morning," she began softly, her tone shifting to a more serious one. "It''s an important event, not just for you but for the entire sect. The Sect Leader, the Grand Elder, and the Core Elders will be present, along with all the Core Disciples and the top Inner Disciples." Shen Yuan''s eyes narrowed slightly. "That''s quite a gathering. Are they expecting something unusual?" Shen Yuxin tilted her head. "I''m not too sure about it as well. This is indeed abnormal, as this level of gathering did not happen for the previous Core Disciple ceremonies." "But it might be due to your Tribtion as well as your possession of the Ancestral Pagoda. They are also not sure why you faced the Tribtion, so they might want to ask about that." Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, his lips quirking into a smirk. "So, it''s half recognition and half inspection?" Shen Yuxinughed softly, tapping his chest with her fingers. "You could say that. Mei Hua will likely want to ensure that your breakthrough hasn''t caused any instability or unusual side effects. They''ll also use this opportunity to officially wee you as a key figure in the sect." "And the Inner and Core Disciples?" Shen Yuan asked. "I imagine some of them won''t be too pleased about the attention I''m getting even after everything I have done for the sect." "You''re not wrong," Shen Yuxin admitted. "There may be some jealousy or rivalry brewing, especially among the Core Disciples. "Many of them have spent years cultivating to reach their current level, and seeing you advance in mere months may unsettle them. But they won''t do anything outrageous. At most, they''ll challenge you for a fightter. After all, you have earned your current rank." Shen Yuan leaned back slightly, his fingers tracing idle patterns along Shen Yuxin''s arm. "And the ceremony itself? What does it entail?" "It will begin with a formal acknowledgment of your achievements," Shen Yuxin exined. "The Sect Leader will deliver a speech, praising your contributions and aplishments. After that, there will be a series of symbolic rituals, including the Lighting of the Radiant Lotus me." Shen Yuan tilted his head. "The Radiant Lotus me?" "It''s a ceremonial me that represents the sect''s unity and light," Shen Yuxin said. "You''ll be asked to light it using your Radiant Qi as a sign of yourmitment to the sect and its ideals. It''s a simple task, but it carries great symbolic weight." "Simple, huh?" Shen Yuan mused. "What else?" "After the rituals, there will be a more informal gathering," Shen Yuxin continued. "The elders, disciples, and other sect members will have the chance to interact with you. It''s an opportunity to build connections, though I imagine some might take the chance to test you." Chapter 309 Teasing Shen Yuan smirked. "A few sparring challenges, perhaps?" "Possibly," Shen Yuxin replied, her lips curving into a smile. "But nothing too serious. The Sect Leader won''t allow anything that might harm you, especially given your recent Tribtion." Shen Yuan chuckled. "I''ll be fine, Mom. You worry too much." Shen Yuxin sighed, resting her hand on his chest. "It''s my job to worry. You''re my everything, Yuan''er." Shen Yuan ced his hand over hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "And I''ll make sure you never have to worry about me." For a moment, they sat infortable silence. Then Shen Yuan broke the quiet with a yful grin. "Do you think they''ll let me skip the speeches if I promise to light the me really well?" Shen Yuxinughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Not a chance, Yuan''er. You''ll have to endure it like everyone else." "Figures," Shen Yuan said with mock resignation. "Alright, I''ll y along. For now, though, I think I''ll take your advice and get some rest. Tomorrow''s going to be¡­ interesting." Shen Yuxin smiled warmly, leaning in to kiss his forehead. "Rest well, my love. I''ll be going to make sure the preparations areplete by tomorrow."N?v(el)B\\jnn As Shen Yuan watched Shen Yuxin leave the room, a warm smile lingered on his lips. He leaned back against his bed, letting the silence of the room envelop him. Fatigue crept over him, and his eyelids grew heavy. "About time I rest," he murmured softly to himself. The moment his head hit the pillow, he felt the exhaustion once again hitting him. His breathing steadied, and soon he drifted into a deep and dreamless sleep. ¡­ The morning sun filtered through the windows, its golden rays casting a warm glow across the room. Shen Yuan''s eyes fluttered, his senses slowly returning as the sound of faint knocking echoed in his ears. "Senior Brother Shen Yuan, are you awake?" a familiar female voice called from outside. He groggily sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Come in," he said, his voice still sleepy. The door slid open, and two lively figures entered the room¡ªChen Yue and Zhao Lian, two of his closest friends and disciples of Huo Rong and Bing Rong. Chen Yue had an alluring hourss figure, her long blonde hair tied into a high ponytail that enhanced her yful charm. Her mischievous smile and bright, sparkling eyes added to her energetic and captivating demeanor. Zhao Lian, in contrast, was slightly petite, exuding a calm andposed aura. Her shiny ck hair framed her delicate face perfectly, and her eyes held a quiet confidence that grew over time as others acknowledged her efforts. "Finally awake, Senior Brother," Chen Yue teased, crossing her arms with a smirk. "We thought we''d have to drag you out of bed." "Hmm, dragging me out of bed? Isn''t that a bit bold of you, Yue''er?" Shen Yuan replied with azy grin, his voice dripping with yfulness. "You could''ve at least waited for me to prepare a few things." Chen Yue''s face flushed slightly, but she quickly rolled her eyes, waving off hisment. "You are just bing more and more shameless." Zhao Lian, who had been silently observing, smirked faintly. "We haven''t seen you in so long, and the first thing you do is tease Yue. Honestly, we expected nothing less." Shen Yuan stretchedzily, his toned muscles visible beneath his loose robes. "What can I say? I''ve missed both of you terribly. Surely you don''t mind a little affection?" Chen Yue huffed, though her lips twitched with the beginnings of a smile. "If by affection you mean shameless flirting, then yes, I do mind." Shen Yuan stood up, ruffling Chen Yue''s hair as he passed by her. "Don''t be so serious, Yue''er. You know you love it." Zhao Lian chuckled softly. "We''re here to escort you to the ceremony grounds. But at this rate, we might bete if you keep teasing Yue." Shen Yuan walked to the corner where his ceremonial robes were neatly folded, ncing over his shoulder at the two women. "You''ve both grown even more beautiful since Ist saw you. How am I supposed to focus on a boring ceremony when I''ve got such lovely distractions?" Chen Yue groaned, her face reddening further, while Zhao Lian shook her head, helpless amusement shing in her silver eyes. "Senior Brother Shen Yuan, you''ve clearly been spending too much time in seclusion. You''re even more shameless than before." "After all, it''s the two of you," Shen Yuan quipped, shing a yful wink as he quickly changed into his robes behind a privacy screen. "Alright, let''s get going before I get lectured by the Sect Leader." Chen Yue muttered something under her breath, but her expression had softened, and Zhao Lian''s lips curved into a faint smile. As they stepped outside together, Shen Yuan couldn''t help but nce at the two of them, feeling a genuine warmth in their presence. [Looks like you are enjoying theirpany, huh.] Shen Yuan softly smiled while walking ahead. ''It has really been a long time since Ist met with them.'' [But you visited them quite a few times as well before your seclusion. You just wanted an opportunity to tease them.] ''Haha, no way.'' [Do you want them to join your harem as well?] Shen Yuan got silent as he thought things through. ''Not for now. I will let fate decide if we are meant to be together.'' ¡­ As Shen Yuan and the two women made their way toward the ceremony grounds, the air between them was filled with a light-hearted atmosphere. The morning sun bathed the sect''s intricate architecture in a golden glow, and the gentle hum of activity from other disciples echoed through the pathways. Chen Yue nced at Shen Yuan with suspicion. "Senior Brother, why are you being so silent all of a sudden? Are you nning something outrageous for the ceremony?" Shen Yuan smirked, his sharp eyes gleaming mischievously. "Outrageous? Yue''er, you hurt me. I''m just appreciating the view." Chen Yue''s brow twitched, and she crossed her arms in front of her, her face flushing slightly. "If by ''view'' you mean something inappropriate, I''ll make sure to tell my Master." "Oh? Go ahead, I don''t mind ''facing off your master as well." Shen Yuan gave a challenging smirk. ''Of course, in bed.'' Zhao Lian giggled softly, seeing Chen Yue being teased. "Yue, don''t bother. You know Senior Brother likes teasing you so much. It''s probably his way of rxing before the ceremony." Shen Yuan turned his attention to Zhao Lian, a sly grin ying at his lips. "Lian''er, since when did you be so calm and wise? Perhaps I should focus more of my attention on you instead." Zhao Lian raised her head, her silver eyes meeting his gaze with a hint of shyness. "It''s all thanks to you, Senior Brother. You became my pir of strength after helping me so much. Without you, I wouldn''t have even be an Inner Sect Disciple, much less the disciple of Master." Shen Yuan smiled lightly and patted her head. "At least you don''t blush as easily as Yue''er now. That''s already a big step ahead." Chen Yue huffed, her arms iling slightly. "Hey! Who said I blush easily? You two are ganging up on me!" Chapter 310 Reaching the Ceremony Shen Yuanughed, his deep voice carrying warmth. "Alright, alright. I''ll behave. After all, today''s supposed to be a big day, and I need you both to see what I''m about to do. It will be fun." Chen Yue''s pout softened into a grin, and Zhao Lian shook her head with a faint smile. They continued walking, the grand hall where the ceremony would take ce nowing into view. The Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect''s ceremonial grounds were nothing short of magnificent. Therge za was surrounded by towering lotus-shaped spires, their crystalline surfaces shimmering under the sunlight. At the center stood a grand stage adorned with radiant lotus carvings and glowing runes, signifying the sect''s unity and light. Disciples and elders were already gathering, their robes flowing elegantly as they took their ces. The aura of anticipation was palpable. As the trio approached the steps leading to the stage, a few Core Disciples turned to nce at Shen Yuan, their expressions a mix of curiosity, admiration, and, in some cases, jealousy. Chen Yue leaned closer to Shen Yuan, her voice low. "Looks like you''ve got an audience already. Try not to cause too much trouble, alright?" Shen Yuan smirked, adjusting his ceremonial robes. "Me? Trouble? Never." Zhao Lian stepped ahead slightly as she softly said, "Let''s get to our ces. The Sect Leader and the Grand Elder will be here any moment." The three ascended the stage, with Shen Yuan standing at the center, nked by the two of them. He leisurely nced around, noticing the faces of familiar disciples and elders he had seen. Despite the formal setting, his rxed smile and confident posture remained the same. As the crowd settled, the sound of a gong echoed through the za, signaling the start of the ceremony. The Sect Leader, Mei Hua, appeared at the far end of the stage, her presencemanding everyone''s attention as she walked gracefully toward the center. Several Core Elders followed closely behind. Shen Yuan straightened his posture, his gaze meeting Mei Hua''s as she approached, her pink hair fluttering in the wind. Her serene yet imposing aura filled the space, and when she spoke, her voice carried both warmth and authority. "Today, we gather to acknowledge the aplishments of one who has transcended the Tribtion at the youngest age in our sect history," Mei Hua began, her voice echoing through the za. "Shen Yuan, through your determination and strength, you have earned your ce as a key figure in our sect." The disciples and elders murmured softly, their expressions reflecting a mix of respect, intrigue, and a faint bit of jealousy. Mei Hua''s gaze softened slightly as she continued. "This ceremony is not merely a formality. It is a recognition of your contributions and a deration of trust in your ability to uphold the values of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect." As her words resonated across the za, Shen Yuan''s lips curled into a faint smile. The ceremony seemed quite to his liking¡ªnot only was it a recognition from the sect but also more responsibilities. But it was a burden he was willing to carry with pride. The Sect Leader gestured toward the ceremonial me at the center of the stage¡ªa radiant lotus-shaped brazier glowing softly. "Shen Yuan, as a symbol of yourmitment to the sect, you will light the Radiant Lotus me using your Radiant Qi." Shen Yuan stepped forward, his movements calm and confident. He raised his hand, his palm glowing with a golden light as he channeled his Radiant Qi. The energy flowed seamlessly, its brilliance illuminating the stage. With a gentle motion, Shen Yuan directed his Radiant Qi toward the brazier. The me within flickered before bursting into a vibrant golden light, its radiance spreading across the za. The crowd watched in awe as the me''s glow seemed to resonate with the energy of the sect itself. Very rarely in the sect had anyone been able to reach this level of resonance with the fire. The ceremony continued, each ritual being a part of the vast history of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect. Shen Yuan performed each task with grace, his presence alonemanding everyone''s respect. As the formalities came to an end, Mei Hua addressed the crowd once more. "Let this day mark a new chapter for our sect. Together, we shall rise to meet any challenge thates our way." The za erupted in apuse, the disciples and elders showing their acknowledgment and support. As the crowd began to disperse for the informal gathering, Chen Yue nudged Shen Yuan yfully. "See? That wasn''t so bad, was it?" Shen Yuan chuckled, his eyes glinting mischievously. "Not bad at all. But I think the fun part is just beginning." Zhao Lian raised an eyebrow, her expression a bit worried. "Try not to get into too much trouble during the gathering, Senior Brother." Shen Yuan smirked, his confidence unwavering. "Trouble? There won''t be any." His smirk widened as he turned to see a familiar group approaching. Shen Yuxin, with her elegant and calm presence, led the way, her flowing robes shimmering faintly in the sunlight. Behind her, Huo Rong and Bing Rong followed, their beauty undiminished even in the presence of Shen Yuxin. Bringing up the rear was Yun Xian, her charming figure seemed even more beautiful with her silvery hair, exuding a calm and dignified aura.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Yuan''er," Shen Yuxin called, her voice gentle and filled with doting. "You handled the ceremony well. Your disy of igniting the Radiant me was really superb." Shen Yuan chuckled softly, his yful voice sounded, "Thank you, Mom. The ceremony was better than I had expected." Huo Rong grinned, stepping closer and lightly punching his shoulder. "Who knows how many young disciples fell for your evil charm." Bing Rong chuckled softly, her voice carrying a teasing note. "You were quite the spectacle today, Yuan. The disciples couldn''t take their eyes off you." Yun Xian''s lips curved into a faint smile as she added, "It''s not every day someone lights the Radiant Lotus me with such resonance. You''ve given them much to think about." Shen Yuan shrugged nonchntly. "What can I say? I''m just that exceptional." Shen Yuxin rolled her eyes fondly but couldn''t hide the pride in her expression. "Now that the formalities are over, let''s head to the informal gathering. It''s a chance for you to connect with the other disciples and elders. It''ll be good for your standing in the sect." Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Is that your subtle way of telling me to behave, Mom?" Huo Rong snickered. "She''s right, though. You''ve got a reputation to uphold now, Yuan. Don''t go teasing everyone too much. And you also need to give a speech as soon as you reach there." Chen Yue, still standing nearby with Zhao Lian, interjected, "I''m really excited to hear his speech again. Thest one still gives me chills." Zhao Lian nodded shyly as she saw so many people gathered here. "Senior Brother''sst speech was really inspiring." Shen Yuanughed, the sound light and unrestrained. "Haha, don''t have expectations so high. I don''t have anything special prepared yet." Shen Yuxin shook her head with a small smile, gesturing for everyone to follow. "Come on, we shouldn''t keep them waiting." The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!